504DR

breadandcircuses , 3 months ago to random

Friday is here again, so if you’re looking for great accounts to follow, these are some of my favorites! 👏

@ariadne
@CelloMomOnCars
@504DR
@chris
@crash_course

#FollowFriday

504DR , 3 months ago

@breadandcircuses @ariadne @CelloMomOnCars @chris @crash_course

Many thanks, B&C.
I've recently been scolded and some of my posts removed, so I'm laying low for a bit.
Reposting yours and other great accounts, tho. 👍

breadandcircuses , 3 months ago to random

I think you might enjoy this angry and sometimes funny rant from Geoffrey Deihl (aka Sane Thinker, @gdeihl).

Here is how it concludes...

---

As we race forward in panic with 'renewable' energy whose creation depends on copious amounts of fossil fuels and trillions of gallons of water use in an increasingly drought-stricken world, why aren’t we addressing the fundamentals?

Why do we need thousands of server farms AND to drive to the office?

Why isn’t planned obsolescence outlawed? Why aren’t manufacturers required to take back and refurbish their worn-out products?

Why don’t we go back to a six-day business week? That was standard when I was a kid. Everything closed. Almost everyone took the day off. We went to church, had picnics, and hung out together. It was good for us and good for the planet. High technology not needed.

Apparently, we can’t see the forest for those monoculture trees.

We met our basic needs long ago. Food, water, heat, shelter. We may not remember that now, but we will soon. We’re heading for a world with less energy available, not more, and renewables mean further destruction to the environment and species loss akin to what oil has done, just differently.

We must acknowledge the planet is finite and change our values and expectations. We can either do that with a realistic plan, or the planet has a plan for us.

The more appealing plan is called Degrowth.

---

FULL ESSAY -- https://geoffreydeihl.substack.com/p/its-not-a-nice-day

#Environment #Climate #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #Degrowth

504DR , 3 months ago

@breadandcircuses @gdeihl

When some future aliens land on our dry and dead planet and they go rummaging around and come across this essay, one of them will look to the others and say;

"They should have listened to this guy".

504DR , 3 months ago

@gdeihl @breadandcircuses

You're welcome, Geoffrey.
I sincerely meant that.

I appreciate your work, and sharing it with us.
Much needed words in these times.

breadandcircuses , 3 months ago to random

Have you ever tried snorkeling or scuba diving around coral reefs? I did that several times when I was younger and loved it. The beauty is almost indescribable.

Losing these reefs – as now seems all but unavoidable – is a tragedy in so many ways. It crushes biodiversity, threatens to disrupt the ocean food chain, and leaves us bereft of some of nature's most glorious wonders.

---

For the fifth time in just the past eight summers – 2016, 2017, 2020, 2022, and now 2024 – huge swathes of the Great Barrier Reef are experiencing extreme heat stress that has triggered yet another episode of mass coral bleaching.

The most conspicuous impact of unusually high temperatures on tropical and subtropical reefs is wide-scale coral bleaching and death. Sharp spikes in temperature can destroy coral tissue directly even before bleaching unfolds. Consequently, if temperatures exceed 2°C above the normal summer maximum, heat-sensitive corals die very quickly.

Given the near-record levels of heat stress this summer, we can expect heavy losses of corals to occur on hundreds of individual reefs over the next few months.

This latest, still-unfolding event was entirely predictable, as ocean temperatures continue to rise due to global heating.

The only long-term way to protect corals on the Great Barrier Reef and elsewhere is to rapidly reduce global greenhouse emissions.

---

FULL ARTICLE -- https://theconversation.com/the-great-barrier-reefs-latest-bout-of-bleaching-is-the-fifth-in-eight-summers-the-corals-now-have-almost-no-reprieve-225348

#Science #Environment #Climate #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #ClimateEmergency

504DR , 3 months ago (edited 3 months ago)

@breadandcircuses

The only tried and true method of drastically and immediately reducing ghgs (without causing further environmental damage) is to have a lockdown similar to the covid lockdown of 2020, but modified, better implemented and for a longer period of time.

Worried about the inconvenience?
Not half as worried as your children and grandchildren will be 10 to 20 years.

Worried about the economy?
Our current economic systems worldwide are based on and thrive on the exploitive actions that causes ghgs emissions.

We have the luxury now of making these changes in the best ways possible.

Your children and grandchildren won't have that if we do nothing; it will be forced on them by the mounting climate changes happening now and accelerating faster every year.

rabia_elizabeth , 3 months ago to palestine group

Shared on the Resistance News Network:

---

⚪️ Mujahideen Movement:
—

• We congratulate the "Homesh" qualitative operation, which resulted in the injury of many zionists.
• This qualitative operation comes as part of our people's response to the ongoing genocide against #Gaza and the aggression against Al-Quds and the West Bank.
• This qualitative operation constitutes a new and powerful security blow, reflecting the fragility and failure of the zionist security system.
• The enemy must realize that our people's resistance is steadfast and will not succeed in breaking its will and its quest for liberation. It should expect more heroic acts from our people and their free revolutionaries.

1/2

#Palestine #Jihad #StopGenocide #DeColonization #Israel #Zionism

@palestine @israel

504DR , 3 months ago

@rabia_elizabeth @palestine @israel

Why are Palestinians doing this!?!

👇
Oh, maybe that's why.

504DR , 3 months ago

@RememberUsAlways @palestine @israel

Great link, thank you for adding this.

Going thru the whole list, it's telling how much listed under "violence" are actions committed against Palestinians, especially the number of assassinations of Palestinian leader and activists.
Those are not acts by a good faith player in this game.

The US has been complicit in this violence committed by Israel every step of the way, too. Shameful.

While I'm not qualified to offer a solution to this mess, I can easily side with and support those being brutalized, oppressed and slaughtered.

504DR , 3 months ago

@RememberUsAlways @palestine @israel

Any cornered animal will fight, with whatever means they have at their disposal.

Israel has shown to not have been a good faithed player in this game, ever, since it's inception.

Israel brought this on to themselves, and their actions over the years only cemented the hostilities between the two.

This latest overblown response against innocent Palestinian civilians lays bare their ultimate goal - the removal of every Palestinian and stealing the land from them.
You've heard of the current sales of land in Gaza run by Jewish players over there right now, right?
Non Jews aren't allowed to participate in these sales. What message do you clean from that fact?

Whatever has happened in the past, the current slaughter of tens of thousands of Palestinians, and the forced starvation of those remaining alive is indefensible.

Israel has been fvcking around for decades now.
I for one, look forward to their finding out phase.

504DR , 3 months ago

@tzafrir @rabia_elizabeth @palestine @israel

https://www.palquest.org/en/overallchronology?show=intro

Read this and get back to me.

Be sure to read the sections under Violence, and the number of Palestinian leaders and activists assassinated by Israel.

If you come back in less than 5 minutes, I'll know you didn't read any of it.

In the age of information, ignorance is a choice.

Here's your opportunity to make the right choice.

504DR , 3 months ago

@RememberUsAlways @tzafrir @palestine @israel

Credit where credit is due.

I appreciate you posted this link.
A deep dive into the history of the area and the resulting conflict.

I'm unable to stay neutral on the topic, myself.
Especially in light of Israeli leadership's current, ongoing actions.

I do wish for peace in the region, but the dogs of war are now loose on both sides, and my sympathies lie with the innocent civilians (on both sides) caught in the middle.

At the least, the US should stop supporting Israel, sending them money and weapons and demand an immediate, lasting ceasefire.

FantasticalEconomics , 3 months ago to random

The #Gaza war (or genocide) is a case study in polarization. People cherrypick facts that allign with their views and present them confidently, without support. Whether civilian casualties are over 95% or closer to 50% seems to be determined by folks sentiment towards #Israel and #Palestine.

I'm far from ignorant, but all I've been able to piece together with any certainty is the situation is fucked up. How is everyone else so damned confident they know what's going on and the right solution?

504DR , 3 months ago

@FantasticalEconomics

A quick study of the history of Palestine and then the creation of Israel and what had happened since then easily shows me which side I'm on in that conflict, and have been for 20 years now.

The settlements are especially disgusting.

What Israel has done over those years since inception has been wrong at every turn; blatant apartheid for decades has now turned to outright genocide.

With their govts approval, Israeli players are now selling land in Gaza. They plan to build condos on the bombed lands where bodies are still buried in the rubble.

Who does that?!?

Not good, ppl, that's for sure.

504DR , 3 months ago

@FantasticalEconomics

This picture speaks volumes to me.

As well as the decades of apartheid Palestinians have been living with.

Israel routinely arrests, tortures and kills children, for throwing rocks.

Israel supports Israeli settlers attacking Palestinians and stealing their homes and lands.

Israel controls every aspect of Palestinians lives nowadays, denying food, water and supplies, not only now but for decades.
The number of Israeli ppl killed or harmed by Palestinians is dwarfed by the number of Palestinians killed or harmed by Israel.

At some point, the numbers have to make a difference. And that number of deaths of Palestinians has now grown by tens of thousands due to the current genocide.

Hamas is only a result of all these years of oppression by Israel.

breadandcircuses , 3 months ago (edited 3 months ago) to random

Assuming our rulers stay on their present course, following the mantra of economic growth at any cost, then the climate and environmental crises will surely continue to worsen with increasingly disastrous results.

What will be their response? Certainly not to end capitalism or even slow things down. That’s unthinkable.

Instead they will almost certainly opt for geoengineering at some point, using technology to alter Earth’s ecosphere in an attempt to allay the damage caused by technology altering Earth’s ecosphere.

That’s senseless and stupid. But that’s what they’ll do.

SEE — https://theconversation.com/not-such-a-bright-idea-cooling-the-earth-by-reflecting-sunlight-back-to-space-is-a-dangerous-distraction-223353
SEE ALSO — https://www.theclimatebrink.com/p/the-geoengineering-question

It may turn out, unfortunately, that some form of geoengineering will in fact be a necessity if we are to avoid the most catastrophic impacts of global heating.

But — and this is a very big but — that prospect should NOT be used as an excuse to continue with Business As Usual. It should not be seen as a way to prolong capitalism’s reign over us. We need #Degrowth now.

#Science #Environment #Climate #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #Capitalism #BusinessAsUsual

504DR , 3 months ago

@breadandcircuses

I fear all kinds of geo and eco engineering are already underway, just kept under wraps for now bc they don't know what the exact outcome will be. 😬

As always, the unintended (deadly) consequences will come to light sooner rather than later, with no recourse or fix available.

m.i.s.o.t.p.m.a.

philip_cardella , 3 months ago to random

[Thread, post or comment was deleted by the author]

504DR , 3 months ago

@philip_cardella

I used to be a big believer/promoter of "well regulated" capitalism, which intended to round out the worst edges of capitalism.

But seeing the state of the world, and the naivety/complacency of the general public, I've realized that well regulated capitalism is a pipedream.

Ppl falling for the dumbest of reasonings, by the least intelligent of us, show that there will be no regulations on capitalism.
Even FDR's version lacked in many areas; not addressing racism, speciesism or the environment.
Given enough time, those issues may have been solved, but for the group of ppl who made it their life's quest to undo everything he'd done. And they have won that battle in spades, with most of his programs eliminated or watered down so badly as to be mere reflections of what they once were/intended to be.

Capitalism is completely about making money for corps and shareholders, and that requires destruction of the natural world to do that.

I can't see where any form of capitalism will benefit us and/or the planet.

504DR , 3 months ago

@philip_cardella

There are always alternatives; socialism comes closest for me to a better way of life for all.

But we aren't trapped into picking an already defined/tried social system.

We could easily choose a completely new system based on the best ideas of all those already defined/tried, imo.

504DR , 3 months ago

@philip_cardella

You're right to be terrified of fascism, as am I. Anyone who isn't is either not paying attention or been bamboozled into thinking it will benefit them while vanquishing their perceived enemies.

My main criticism of capitalism is that it relies on exploitation for it's success; exploitation of the planet and ppl.

We've taken so much from the planet already there won't be much left for future generations (if there are any future generations bc of climate change, of which capitalism played a huge part, imo).
We are now in the find out phase of ecological overshoot and no tech or imaginary being will be able to stop that.

Capitalism also exploits ppl terribly, always chasing after the cheapest labor, segregating ppl by income and encouraging the worst business practices of brutality towards some so others can hoard money.

The US has been capitalist since it's inception. FDR did try to tame the worst of capitalism's ideals; but looking where we're at right now, it wasn't successful in the long term.

So here we are now, with a shrunken middle class, and millions of Americans one paycheck away from becoming jobless and/or homeless. Despite the economic headlines, wages are still stagnant, not even keeping up with inflation.

There has to be a better way than this.

Bc you are correct in saying dire economic conditions are an incubator for fascism to grow and thrive.