Yearly Archives: 2023

Insane thinktanks destroying our World

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This is very draft, unfinished but at least I’ve started. Please expect it to be extended and elaborated.

Thinktanks are here as a huge part of the political landscape providing ready-made policy and even huge quantities of staff to governments matching their bigoted perspectives. The topic of thinktanks can be overwhelming and easily lead to distraction.

I had not realised that thinktanks have such influence in contemporary politics. It’s claims that thinktanks exerted huge influence over Brexit and that the Conservative manifesto was written and the Labour manifesto mostly written by think tanks. [M]

There is also the claim that donating to a thinktank gets you far better influence for your money than simply donating to a political party and that thinktanks are so influential because they have such huge media exposure. [M] George Monbiot complains that thinktanks are often presented in the media as experts without any mention of their political biases. [GM]

There are claims that thinktanks and the media conspire to promote their mostly shared agendas. I’ve come across this claim from two sources so expect that it’s probably correct. So you have lobbying, the mostly right-wing media and mostly right-wing thinktanks exerting their malign influence – the agenda of the rich and powerful – in politics and on political parties. [need to find these refs]

There are left-wing as well as right-wing thinktanks although it appears that right-wing ones are more influential, quite possibly through being far better funded.

One issue that I was chasing down in writing this article is how thinktanks can propose the totally insane position of exploit fossil fuels to the fullest extent possible – a proposition adopted by US and UK governments.

[M] article explains ‘The ASI’s chief executive Madsen Pirie has said that they propose things that at first are thought of as the “edge of lunacy”, which then become the “edge of policy”.’ This is the explanation for the exploit fossil fuels to the fullest extent proposition – it is actual, literal lunacy passing for policy. This is Heritage Foundation lunacy contained in it’s Project 2025, a detailed insane program of actions for the next insane Republican president and govenment to follow.

It is insane, isn’t it? The world is burning to a crisp with extreme weather events all over the globe, we’re likely to pass 1.5C in a few years when we’re already fekked at 1.1 or 1.2C and these insane fekkers want to accelerate global destruction. Why is anyone taking them seriously? They belong in an asylum. We’re talking about people getting killed and nature destroyed on a huge scale!

Heritage Foundation is the largest, most influential thinktank in US. It provided huge nimbers of staff for the Trump administration and promoted the idea that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump.

References

[GM] George Monbiot https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/oct/05/rightwing-thinktanks-government-bbc-news-programmes

[M] Mace https://macemagazine.com/wonk-warriors/

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/07/28/far-right-climate-plans-00107498

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Top Climate Scientists to Biden: ‘Follow the Science, Stop Fossil Fuels’

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Original article by Andrea Germanos republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Note that the original article was published 7 April, 2022.

U.S. climate scientist Peter Kalmus is seen outside a JPMorgan Chase building in Los Angeles on April 6, 2022. Along with several others, he locked himself to the front door of the building and was ultimately arrested as they engaged in civil disobedience as part Scientist Rebellion’s week of action. (Photo: Scientist Rebellion)

The letter to President Joe Biden came amid a week of “scientist-led civil disobedience” demanding urgent climate action.

In a powerful direct appeal to President Joe Biden urging him to follow through on his vow to listen to science, a group of over 275 scientists on Thursday called on the U.S. leader to urgently ditch fossil fuels and lead the country to a renewable energy transition.

Written “in this moment of climate emergency… with utmost urgency,” the letter to Biden was coordinated by the advocacy group Food & Water Watch along with noted U.S. climate experts including Peter Kalmus, Sandra Steingraber, Robert Howarth, Mark Jacobson, and Michael Mann.

As Common Dreams previously reported, the scientists leading the effort unveiled the letter last month, seeking a critical mass of signatures to push back against the administration’s move to further oil and gas production as nations look to reduce their dependence on Russian fuels in response to its invasion of Ukraine.

Related Content Scientists to Biden: World Needs ‘Rapid Transition From Fossil Fuels to Renewable Energy’ Jessica Corbett

The letter–bluntly declaring “Follow the Science, Stop Fossil Fuels”–was officially sent to the White House Thursday, landing amid a week of “scientist-led civil disobedience” featuring strikes and occupations in dozens of countries to highlight the urgency of the ecological and climate crisis.

In their letter to Biden, the expert group cites the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report released in February cataloging the “unfolding climate catastrophe” as evidence of the need for swift action. Millions worldwide, including within the U.S., are already facing climate impacts, the IPCC report notes, including water scarcity and extreme weather events.

“These problems will only accelerate as we continue our reliance on fossil fuels,” the scientists wrote. “And, this is on top of the significant health and environmental justice impacts that power plants, export facilities, and other fossil fuel infrastructure have on neighboring communities.”

“As the IPCC report indicated, the scientific evidence is overwhelming that we must act now,” they wrote, “we simply do not have time to waste.”

Firmly rejecting Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm’s framing of the U.S. being “on war footing” in pushing for more domestic fossil fuel production, the scientists told Biden that such urgency must instead be directed at “building a renewable energy economy” and that he must exercise his “executive authority to redirect these massive investments, mobilize the country, and rally the global community around a program of energy security through a rapid transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.”

“We urge you to lead boldly, take on the fossil fuel titans, and rally the country towards a renewable energy future,” the scientists wrote.

Related Content Dozens Arrested as Scientists Worldwide Mobilize to Demand ‘Climate Revolution’ Jake Johnson

Lead signatory and climate scientist Kalmus was among those taking part in Scientist Rebellion direct actions on Wednesday; he was ultimately arrested after locking himself to the front door of a JPMorgan Chase building in Los Angeles.

He was driven by what he sees as “humanity heading directly toward climate disaster” and “currently on track to lose everything we love.”

In an op-ed published at The Guardian Wednesday explaining why he was willing to risk arrest, Kalmus wrote, “If everyone could see what I see coming, society would switch into climate emergency mode and end fossil fuels in just a few years.”

Original article by Andrea Germanos republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Note that the original article was published 7 April, 2022.

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Britain’s shame: More than 120,000 children ‘destitute’

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Image of cash and pre-payment meter key
Image of cash and pre-payment meter key

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/splash-more-120000-children-uk-are-living-most-extreme-form-poverty-according-charity-survey

MORE than 120,000 children across Britain are living in the most extreme form of poverty, according to charity survey which reveals the situation is worsening.

The devastating rise in levels of destitution was branded “stark and worrying” by Buttle UK, which works with young people in crisis.

Its poll of 1,240 front-line professionals found that six in 10 of the children they work with are experiencing extreme poverty — up from 45 per cent the previous year and 36 per cent in 2021.

The London-based charity, which published its annual State of Child Poverty report yesterday, said: “The families our front-line workers are supporting includes approximately 122,000 children living in destitution.

“The year-on-year change between the last three survey cohorts dramatically illustrates the progressively worsening circumstances for children in poverty.”

The organisation described the term “destitution” as referring to the absolute lowest standard of living any adult, child or young person can experience, leading to a “lived reality which is degrading and unsustainable.”

Specifically, its study said someone is considered destitute if they have gone a month without at least two of the following — shelter, food, lighting, heating, clothing or basic toiletries.

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/splash-more-120000-children-uk-are-living-most-extreme-form-poverty-according-charity-survey

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Fury as national health check of England’s waters faces six year wait

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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/aug/19/fury-as-national-health-check-of-englands-waters-delayed-by-six-years

Exclusive: Assessment that used to happen annually will now take six years despite rising concerns

April 2023 Surfers Against Sewage and Extinction Rebellion protests in St Agnes, Perranporth, Truro and Charlestown which unveiled spoof Blue Plaques to the MPs and Conservative Government who allowed raw sewage to be dumped in the sea (Image: Surfers Against Sewage)
April 2023 Surfers Against Sewage and Extinction Rebellion protests in St Agnes, Perranporth, Truro and Charlestown which unveiled spoof Blue Plaques to the MPs and Conservative Government who allowed raw sewage to be dumped in the sea (Image: Surfers Against Sewage)

A nationwide annual health check of England’s water bodies which used to take place annually, will now take six years to complete, prompting anger from campaigners and politicians, as public alarm grows over the state of the nation’s rivers and coasts.

The assessments, undertaken by the Environment Agency, look at the ecological and chemical condition of rivers, lakes, groundwater, and transitional and coastal waters, and are required under the Water Framework Directive (WFD).

In 2019, the last time the full assessments took place, just 14% of rivers were in good ecological health and none met standards for good chemical health. Before 2016 the tests were done annually, but the government has now opted not to deliver a complete update until 2025, the latest permissible under the WFD.

Clean water advocates accused the government of trying to hide the data.

Rivers activist Feargal Sharkey said: “The future of England’s rivers has been sacrificed in a cynical act of self preservation by the very same failed government agency set up to protect them.”

The Green party peer Natalie Bennett said the government “clearly recognised the huge public anger about the parlous state of our waterways, but instead of taking action to clean them up, it is instead trying to hide the data”.

She added that the “stench of pollution, the choking of our waters with sewage, plastics and farm runoff is evident to all”, and that the Green party wanted to see a return to more frequent publication of the river health statistics. “Democracy demands transparency, and that’s one more thing this government is not delivering.”

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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/aug/19/fury-as-national-health-check-of-englands-waters-delayed-by-six-years

Continue ReadingFury as national health check of England’s waters faces six year wait