Wednesday, March 20th, 2019
, - Der Spiegel (Germany)
Stephan: In the midst of the daily outflow of criminal sewage about Trump and the White House, a great deal of importance is simply getting lost. I have done a number of stories, for instance, about the dramatic diminution of respect for the United States amongst our European allies, but I never thought I would see a major ally simply reject an American ambassador. Yet, this story from Germany suggests the Germans have gotten to that point.
Almost all of Trump's appointees are incompetents and ideologues, who will ever forget Rick Perry, Scott Pruitt, Jeff Sessions, to select just a few examples. Incompetence and ideology are the hallmarks of Trump's administration. But I didn't think even Trump would sink to the level of appointing diplomats who actually sabotage the country's interests. I was wrong. Richard Grenell, a true Trumpian cretin, was appointed to represent America in Germany and, now, the Germans have had enough. They are talking about expelling him, something previously unimaginable. Here is how a leading German publication, Der Spiegel, sees it.
American Ambassador to Germany Republican Ricard Grenell Credit: Der Spiegel
The criticism of US Ambassador Richard Grenell on the budget of SPD Finance Minister Olaf Scholz angered German politicians.
FDP Vice Wolfgang Kubicki calls in response to the expulsion of the diplomat. Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (SPD) should “promptly declare Richard Grenell a persona non grata,” Kubicki told AFP. “Anyone who, as a US diplomat, acts like a high commissioner of an occupying power, must learn that our tolerance also knows borders.”
Previously, Grenell had criticized that Germany’s financial planning away from the NATO target to spend two percent of gross domestic product (GDP) on defense. According to Scholz ‘plans, the share of defense spending in GDP should rise to 1.37 percent in the short term, but decline again in the medium term. “The fact that the federal government is even considering reducing their already unacceptable contributions to military readiness is a disturbing signal from Germany to its 28 NATO allies,” Grenell said.
Kubicki said he did not […]
1 Comment
Wednesday, March 20th, 2019
Michaela Haas, - Yes! Magazine
Stephan: The middle Bronze Age Dominionist Abrahamic thinking that has shaped our culture and our science has brought us to catastrophe. Our technologies all arise from that perspective, we have dominion over the earth. We are objective to earth and can do as we will. That must change. Here is an example of what I mean. We have to get a government in power that understands and is committed to this. It is the path to wellbeing.
There are a thousand ways to kneel and kiss the ground; there are a thousand ways to go home again. —Rumi
The way to stop climate change might be buried in 300 square feet of earth in the Venice neighborhood of Los Angeles, amid kale and potatoes. A half-dozen city youth are digging through the raised bed on a quiet side street, planting tomato seedlings between peach and lime trees. Nineteen-year-old Calvin sweats as he works the rake. There’s a lot at stake here. The formerly homeless youngsters are tentatively exploring farming through a community outreach program started by a California nonprofit called Kiss the Ground. More importantly, they are tending to the future of our planet.
“Soil just might save us,” filmmaker Josh Tickell says, “but we are going to have to save it first.” He wrote that in his 2017 book, also called Kiss the Ground, after becoming deeply invested in the potential of soil to reverse climate change. (The nonprofit supports the book and Tickell’s upcoming documentary about it, though he has no role with the organization.) […]
1 Comment
Wednesday, March 20th, 2019
Richard Lindsay, Head of Environmental and Conservation Research, Sustainability Research Institute, University of East London - The Conversation
Stephan: Here is another take on what wellness oriented land usage could look like. This change in technologies is a very big issue. It is our path through climate change.
Imagine “carbon emissions”, and what springs to mind? Most people tend to think of power stations belching out clouds of carbon dioxide or queues of vehicles burning up fossil fuels as they crawl, bumper-to-bumper, along congested urban roads. But in Britain and many other countries, carbon emissions have another source, one that is almost completely invisible. In the UK, these overlooked emissions come from our most extensive semi-natural habitat, yet it is a habitat which is almost invisible within the national consciousness.
The source of these emissions can be seen in the rich black peat soils of the East Anglian Fens, the Lancashire lowland plain, the Somerset Levels, the Forth Valley and indeed many lowland river flood plains, as well as in the hugely damaged peat soils of the UK’s uplands. The common thread here is “peat”, a soil derived almost entirely from semi-decomposed plant remains which have accumulated over thousands of years because the ground is waterlogged. Such peat soils are immensely carbon-rich because they largely consist of organic matter. Globally, peatlands contain more carbon than all the world’s vegetation […]
No Comments
Tuesday, March 19th, 2019
Patrick Tucker, Technology Editor - Defense One
Stephan: For two generations it was understood by all that turning space into a new arms race was a really really bad idea. But no more. Welcome to the new incredibly profitable but horrifying world of an arms race in space, where they can zap your house from a satellite. Now doesn't that make you feel all warm and cozy?
Credit: Elena11/Shutterstock
Defense officials have asked for $304 million to fund research into space-based lasers, particle beams, and other new forms of missile defense next year.
Defense officials want to test a neutral particle-beam in orbit in fiscal 2023 as part of a ramped-up effort to explore various types of space-based weaponry. They’ve asked for $304 million in the 2020 budget to develop such beams, more powerful lasers, and other new tech for next-generation missile defense. Such weapons are needed, they say, to counter new missiles from China, Russia, North Korea and Iran. But just figuring out what might work is a difficult technical challenge.
So the Pentagon is undertaking two studies. The first is a $15 million exploration of whether satellites outfitted with lasers might be able to disable enemy missiles coming off the launch pad. Defense officialshave said previously that these lasers would need to be in the megawatt class. They expect to finish the study within six months.
They’re also pouring money into a study of space-based neutral particle beams, a different form of […]
2 Comments
Tuesday, March 19th, 2019
Eleanor Greene, - Green American Magazine
Stephan: If you read me regularly you know I have frequently counseled my readers to lower their toxin burden, by eliminating the chemicals, hormones, and toxins that normally litter the homes, garages, and yards of Americans. Here is a list that can get you started and I urge you to do so. As you read her it can make a big difference to your health.
These widely used chemicals may hide anywhere from skin cream to a frying pan. In this issue, we’ll explore where you can find them in your home and what to do to avoid them.
Credit: Photographer
Asbestos
A mineral that is resistant to heat and chemical corrosion and can be mixed with other materials to strengthen them. Though asbestos use has declined, it has not been banned in the US. Building materials still legally may be up to one percent asbestos, and old buildings are more likely to contain higher percentages. Homes should be checked for asbestos before any renovation—check roof and floor tiles especially. Asbestos fibers can be inhaled and accumulate in the body and cause inflammation, scarring, respiratory diseases, and cancer.
Benzyl benzoate
A common insecticide that is used medically to kill lice or scabies. It is also used as a food additive for flavor, in fragrances, and in plastics. It is a suspected neurotoxin.
Bisphenol-A (BPA)and Bisphenol-S (BPS)
Used to make transparent, hard plastic known as polycarbonate used for baby bottles and linings of metal […]
No Comments
