Can you hear me?

Maritime Shipping and Global Warming

Shipping is responsible for 18-30% of all the world's nitrogen oxide (NOx) pollution and 9% of the global sulphur oxide (SOx) pollution.

One large ship can generate about 5,000 tonnes of sulphur oxide (SOx) pollution in a year

70% of all ship emissions are within 400km of land.

85% of all ship pollution is in the northern hemisphere.

Shipping is responsible for 3.5% to 4% of all climate change emissions.

http://www.airclim.org/

A Bit of Perspective

Often accused of being too self-absorbed, I thought that I would throw this criticism back in the faces of others with the following graphic dose of reality. Hat tip to Strange Maps. Incidentally, for those of you arrogant Americaphiles who just can't stand the truth, although the picture below depicts only the contiguous states, be assured that the area figure for the US does indeed include Alaska.

The Tragedy of War

Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives . . . you are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours . . . . You the mothers who sent their sons from far away countries wipe away your tears. Your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. Having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well.

-Kemal Attaturk
(inscribed at the Attaturk memorial in Canberra, Australia

Black Gold

I just watched a film about coffee growers in Ethiopia called "Black Gold." In it I learned that, at the time of filming, coffee growers were receiving the equivalent of 23 US cents for a kilogram of coffee. That's 80 cups of coffee.

Perhaps shooting the boards of companies like Nestlé, Sara Lee and Starbuck's would be a good start to changing this kind of exploitation?

Obviously, I think that economic justice for these farmers would be a better solution than wholesale executions, but I must admit I have very little sympathy for these motherfuckers unless they change their behavior.

The Future

"It may be said with rough accuracy that there are three stages in the life of a strong people. First, it is a small power, and fights small powers. Then it is a great power, and fights great powers. Then it is a great power, and fights small powers, but pretends that they are great powers, in order to rekindle the ashes of its ancient emotion and vanity. After that, the next step is to become a small power itself."

G.K. Chesterton

IMPRISON BUSH NOW!

Perhaps we can sentence the President of the United States to life in prison without parole. (I really don't need to have a talk with the US Secret Service. I'm hoping that the current President of the US will be imprisoned for high crimes against the US government through the criminal justice system, not through fiat.)

About conservatives

The following is stolen from Dave Neiwert's Orcinus blog and was written by Sara. It sums up my feelings pretty well with respect to the great majority of conservatives.

When conservatives tell us that we need constant surveillance to make us secure, what they're telling us is that they themselves are prone to criminal behavior if they think nobody else is watching. The fear of exposure is the only force keeping them on the right side of the law -- and that's why it's the only form of "security" they understand. Bear this in mind if you decide to do business with them.

When they tell us that our future depends on supporting a military that's bigger than the rest of the world's fighting forces combined, what they're telling us is that they can't handle chaos, complexity, change, or being out of control. The whole world is a threat; the only solution is a bigger gun. Bear this in mind if you find yourself in conflict with them.

When they tell us diplomacy isn't an option, they're telling us that it's not an option they understand. Words, agreements, treaties, and contracts mean nothing to them. Brute force is the only option they comprehend...or are likely to respond to themselves. Bear this in mind before you negotiate with them.

When they tell us that homosexuality is a threat to American families, what they're telling us is that homosexuality is a threat to their families. As in: if they ever dared to admit their own sexual interest in other men, their wives would leave them, and take the kids. Bear this in mind when they hold themselves up as moral paragons.

When they tell us the Islamofascists are a threat to our way of life, they are quite correctly pointing out that there are fascists threatening our way of life. They're just deflecting their own intentions on to brown people far away. Bear this in mind before assuming they share your belief in constitutional democracy.

When they accuse reality-based folks of promoting "junk science," they're telling us they basically think all science is junk. Bear this in mind before attempting to present them with convincing evidence of anything.

When they tell us to support the troops, what they're really saying is: You better, because we won't. Bear this in mind when you evaluate the real costs of the war.

When they tell us the government can't be trusted, they're telling us they can't be trusted to govern. Bear this in mind every time you step into a voting booth.