Impending System Failure
Impending System Failure Readying the war machine for what’s to come Soldiers from the 3rd Brigade of the 101st Airborne, Kuwaiti desert, March 20, 2003. (AP Photo/Jean-Marc Bouju/National Journal) H.R. 8070, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2025 features the usual increase in “defense” spending to a record $883.7 billion. It takes […]
In our make-believe politics, the strings pulled by the super-rich are all too visible
In our make-believe politics, the strings pulled by the super-rich are all too visible Biden wanders offstage or walks like a geriatric robot. Yet we are meant to believe he’s carefully navigating us through the nuclear tripwires of the West’s serial wars We live in a world of make-believe politics, a world where strings pulled […]
IEA’s Staggering Oil Glut is Staggeringly Unlikely
IEA’s Staggering Oil Glut is Staggeringly Unlikely The International Energy Agency (IEA) has become a dishonest broker of information because of its renewable energy bias. This week, it reported that there will be a staggering oil glut by the end of the decade. “Total supply capacity is forecast to rise to nearly 114 million barrels a […]
The Crises and Sacrifices Yet to Come
The Crises and Sacrifices Yet to Come The timing of finally embracing risk and sacrifice as the only option left is exquisitely sensitive: finally caving in a moment too late leads to the system collapsing beyond recovery. The sense that we’re approaching a tipping point into a crisis with no easy resolution is pervasive, a […]
Prepare for the Repricing of Risk Globally
Prepare for the Repricing of Risk Globally There are no more “saves” available for the next market meltdown. The past 24 years can be viewed as an era in which risk declined due to the dynamics of globalization and financialization. The ascent of China as “workshop of the world” generated a deflationary wave of lower […]
The Thing About AI
The Thing About AI As if we didn’t have enough to worry about with economic, political and ecological collapse, genocides, grotesquely incompetent ‘leaders’, and nuclear brinkmanship, now we also have to worry about AI. To some extent, as Indrajit Samarajiva has repeatedly pointed out, we have had AI around for centuries, in the form of corporations — […]
IEA’s 2030 Outlook – I Don’t Even Know Where To Start
IEA’s 2030 Outlook – I Don’t Even Know Where To Start Summary IEA predicts global oil demand will peak by 2030, leading to an 8 million b/d surplus due to Electric Vehicle and energy transition movement. IEA’s outlook shows a disconnect between GDP growth and oil demand growth, with unrealistic assumptions about EV penetration and […]
#280: Not what you’ve been told
#280: Not what you’ve been told A YOUNG PERSON’S GUIDE TO THE ECONOMY Introduction Intended for an educational documentary, The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra is a 1945 composition by Bejamin Britten. A similar title – A Young Person’s Guide to King Crimson – was used for a progressive rock compilation album released in 1976. What we need now […]
‘Gateway to hell’ in Siberia ‘rapidly expanding’, experts warn as landmark can be seen from space
‘Gateway to hell’ in Siberia ‘rapidly expanding’, experts warn as landmark can be seen from space A giant crater in Siberia which can be seen from space is “rapidly expanding” due to climate change Reuters The crater’s ever-increasing size will pose problems for the surrounding habitat, scientists say The giant “Gateway to Hell” crater in […]
40% Surge: Growing Nitrous Oxide Emissions Trigger Scientific Alarm
40% Surge: Growing Nitrous Oxide Emissions Trigger Scientific Alarm Nitrous oxide emissions, largely from agriculture, have increased significantly from 1980 to 2020. Efforts to reduce these emissions are critical as there are no means to remove the gas from the atmosphere, posing risks to climate and environmental health. Over four decades, nitrous oxide emissions have risen sharply, […]
A recession indicator with a perfect record has been flashing red for 20 months. It may not be wrong yet.
A recession indicator with a perfect record has been flashing red for 20 months. It may not be wrong yet. Yuichiro Chino/Getty Images A recession indicator with a flawless record has been flashing red for 20 months. The economist behind the inverted yield curve says it’s too soon to declare it’s wrong this time. Campbell […]
Egypt sets hottest June day in African history; historic heatwave hits Cyprus
Egypt sets hottest June day in African history; historic heatwave hits Cyprus Aswan in Egypt recorded 50.9 °C (123.6 °F) on June 7, 2024, setting the highest reliable temperature ever recorded in Egypt and the hottest June day in African history. On the same day, Cyprus experienced its hottest June day ever with temperatures hitting […]
Another Blowout Adds to Mystery of Permian Basin Water Pressure
Another Blowout Adds to Mystery of Permian Basin Water Pressure Water is bursting from another West Texas oil well, continuing a troubling trend. Water flows from an orphaned oil well on Schuyler Wight’s ranch in Pecos County, Texas. Credit: Courtesy of Schuyler Wight In recent years, Schuyler Wight has noticed a growing number of abandoned […]
Could We Do Civilization Better?
Could We Do Civilization Better? Photo by Willian Justen de Vasconcellos on Unsplash There seems to be a persistent mental bug preventing us from building a sustainable civilization. So far I have been focusing on the cultural, technological and political aspects of how and why each and every technological civilization ended up in ruins, and why ours is […]
Sparing vs Sharing: The Great Debate Over How to Protect Nature
Sparing vs Sharing: The Great Debate Over How to Protect Nature What is the best way to save nature – to cordon off areas for parks and open space or to integrate conservation measures on working lands? Recent research makes a case for each of these approaches and has reignited a long-standing debate among scientists […]
