Closing the Revolving Door?

President-elect Obama is to curb the influence of professional lobbyists in an effort to close the revolving door and clean up on Capitol Hill. It all sounds very Jimmy Stewart. Good Luck. It may seem mad to say so, but the oil industry's long ascendancy is clearly waning as its influence over the US fades and its epitaph is prepared. It'll be a long, slow going, though. Pity we left it so late.
Thanks to Craig Mackintosh for pointing this out to me

The Onion has this to say

Throbgoblins International salutes Miss Joan Pick. Frank may be sending her flowers.

Exodus

Whilst the newly elected president of the Maldives brings up the massive issue of the resettlement of whole nations due to sea level rise, the UK panics over a more imaginary inundation, and limits non-EU immigration to ballet dancers and sheep-shearers. The Dutch, meanwhile, - in their great tradition of physical nation building - plan to build a hydro electric island in the north sea. The basking shark, amongst others, begins its long goodbye.

Status Quo

We are being warned of the threat posed by eco-terrorists, including - so it seems - the Kingsnorth climate campers. In an obvious attempt to head off the idea that direct action is legitimate - as was lawfully upheld in the case of the Kingsnorth six - the "security" forces seek to frighten would-be activists with the accusation of terrorism. This looks like the worst kind of cold war nonsense. I remember the tabloid stories about Spetznatz commandos at the Greenham Common Peace camp, which gave us all a good laugh and may even have fooled the odd half-mad ex-colonel or knuckle dragging flag-waver. This seems pure politics of the 40 minute WMD variety. I wonder where they actually draw the line that separates the extremist from the good compliant citizen. Only following orders, guv!

What might they make of the wild extremism of the Manchester Climate Fortnightly? It's out today. See for yourself. Be careful. You might make a difference.
Also out is the inaugural New Earth Rising from EI.

Meanwhile...we are offered nuclear sheds and genetically modified bees as General Motors threatens to go tits-up and we kill some mockingbirds

Crap Crunch

The plastics recycling industry is suffering from the economic downturn as a reduction in consumption reduces demand and depresses prices. Thus we are asked to defeat ourselves in order to save ourselves. We even eat ourselves ironically.

A lack of political will is blamed for lack of progress on the green tech front - a state of affairs to be addressed by Barack Obama and to be exploited by the contemptible BP (whose name of BRITISH Petroleum is entirely coincidental)

Hill Farmers have created some of my favourite landscapes, and are now facing the extinction that so many other ways of life have suffered. I'm not sure how well these particular arguments stack up - as they seem a little jumbled up with passing economics and self interest (isn't everything?). I'd appreciate any light anyone might be able to shed on this.

Here's some more nicely turned sobriety from the New Internationalist, after the drunkenness of the ascendency

It's an ill wind

This cartoon is a last minute substitution.

Now that we've all been slightly re-energised by the unexpected good sense of the American people, this cartoon may seem inappropriate, but the problems haven't changed one iota, and inertia, capitalism and human nature remain the forces they ever were. But on we go, regardless of how hard the wind blows. (thanks to Marc Hudson again)

The inappropriateness may also be down to the fact that I've been offered a ticket to watch Manchester City vs FC Twente (cheers, Simon) so I'm off out in a bit. This means that today's unfinished topical cartoon will become tomorrow's (still) topical cartoon. It's funny. It contains bodily functions. You'll like it.

Appointing a new, dynamic, sane and competent captain for the Titanic seconds before impact is no cause for relaxation.

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The changing of the guard

Even Cantankerous old Frank got caught up in the emotion of it all. We can choose to believe that we can choose to change.

Foreign Relations?

Shameless interference in the democratic electoral process of a nation to which I do not belong.

Alright, alright, I know. A politician is still a politician and there will be no revolution in the conduct of international affairs with an Obama Presidency. I receive variously tangential or plainly unhinged interventions in my in-box emphasising this obvious point and advocating a split in the democratic vote in the name of abstract political perfection. This is madness to me. The idea of a McCain victory is unthinkable to the vast majority of the planet, and would bring the deepest shame upon America and Americans. It's not a matter of dreaming of Camelot, it's a matter of holding off idiocy and oblivion.
I refused to believe, at the time, that significant numbers would vote for GWB and was thus taken by surprise by the naiivety of both the American electorate and myself when the mad little prick took office (with the emphasis on the took).
Surely it couldn't happen again?