plus ca change

Before I get on my high horse - please take a look at the latest McFly (Manchester Climate Fortnightly).
and watch Leo Murray's short film

Now then...

As unregulated capitalism breathes its last, the world's bankers -unfazed, and with bonuses intact - gather for the World Economic Forum junket in Tianjin. I was going to do a strip based on the current (wholly unpredictable) financial debacle which juxtaposed the imminent belt tightening with a report by the Food Climate Research Network (of Surrey University) that calls for some climate driven belt-tightening. It would've tied it all up nicely and Frank would have got to say some scathing and self righteous stuff, whilst looking comically cross. Then I realised that I could just repost some old stuff from last year's WEF, by way of an "I told you so" - which I found more satisfying. Normally I would resist this, but I'm full of a cold and somewhat irritable.

I watched Chris Martenson's economics Crash Course presentation yesterday. The simplicity of our collectively generated financial illusion "repels the mind".

I have found myself unaccountably amused by the following joke for days now.

-I got some German christmas cake yesterday
-Was it stollen?
-No, I bought it from Aldi

( I apologise. )

Criminal Mastermind

Al Gore announces his incredulity at the lack of NVDA from the young in the face of global corporate inertia. Judging by some of the woefully misguided responses from the Right, you'd think he's advocated ritual kitten-disemboweling on the Whitehouse lawn.

Wouldn't it be grand if some high profile, well respected and experienced mainstream American politician could be found to lead the way into some actual, law-breaking, jail-time civil disobedience? If only there was someone like that somewhere....hmmm

Raveheart

The Scottish assembly plans to unite the Celtic fringe in resisting Westminster's imposition of GM crops on/in their soil, whilst the Global Crop Diversity Trust are amassing a data and skills base to provide growers with "Climate Proof" crops for when the shit hits the fan. How Genetically Modified plants will ultimately fit into that scenario is, of course, hotly debated. Throbgoblins International would like to see the patent laws of the United States withdrawn from the field so that sense can be extracted. In the spirit of impending doom, we are pretty free with our own intellectual copyright, and would like to see Monsanto, BASF et al join the party

They can take our lives but they cannot take our FREEEEEEDOOOOOMMM! Sounds like a pretty poor deal to me.

An inalienable right to exist?

A clause in the proposed Ecuadorian constitution - which goes to referendum on Sunday - gives Nature the inalienable right to exist within it's own cycles, and obliges Government to protect it. Nation states being what they are, this could never be as pure as it sounds, but it's a marvellous thing to commit to legislation. Let's hope the rest of it isn't Bollocks, and that Zorro's pessimism is misplaced..

A similar guarantee seems desperately needed in Europe, particularly if one is of the amphibean persuasion ( or a bird, or a fish, or a mammal, or a ...)

Meanwhile- whilst the government that brought you economic meltdown brings you that bit closer to climate chaos with a grand fudge over coal fired power - the more sensible among us re-use what we can, in the hope of having a little something left for the grandkids.

Congratulations to Marc and Sarah on their wedding today. You both deserve many blessings and some time off1

Exponential Growth

I was recently harangued for figures by an internet troll who I carelessly engaged in debate. In putting these together I came across the following- which states the case eloquently. It's a lecture by Prof Albert Bartlett and knocks growth fetishism on its arse, and features all the figures necessary. Jump onto the the YouTube link to get the rest (it's a series of 8)

Hipo-critical

An Exeter University research report accuses greens of failing to meet their own professed standards. We're all a shower of shites, apparently. So we might as well give up now. So - I'm off to ram raid a kebab shop in a stolen Hummer before hi-jacking a private jet to take me to a slash and burn festival in Brasil with Jeremy f*cking Clarkson. And I shan't even put my litter in the bin. So there.

Throbgoblins International would like to apologise for the reckless use of the word hi-jack in the previous rant. It's neither big nor clever. We're very sorry.

Just spotted this - which looks very promising

Ugmug's Methane Jaccuzzi

Melting sea-bed permafrost creates a virtual methane jaccuzi across vast stretches of Siberia - pumping millions of tons of methane into the atmosphere and threatening the positive feedback loop so long forecast by scientists. I don't know - these crazy lefties with their "global warming" and their "Economic meltdown". Ill informed alarmist nonsense!
More people should listen to that nice Nigel Lawson - you know - the one who deregulated the financial markets. Don't listen to the Met office. They're just crackers

I brought Ugmug in as a recently defrosted Neanderthal in an earlier Methane strip