tagged w/ Failure Of Humanity
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Australia experienced its hottest decade on record from 2000 to 2009 due to global warming, the nation's bureau of meteorology said on Tuesday, as annual summer bushfires again burn drought lands and destroy homes.
The average temperature in Australia over the past 10 years was 0.48 degrees Celsius above the 1961-1990 average, said the Bureau of Meteorology said in its annual climate statement.
And 2010 is forecast to be even hotter, with temperatures likely to be between 0.5 and 1 degrees above average.
"We're getting these increasingly warm temperatures, not just for Australia but globally. Climate change, global warming is clearly continuing," said bureau climatologist David Jones.
"We're in the latter stages of an El Nino event in the Pacific Ocean and what that means for Australian and global temperatures is that 2010 is likely to be another very warm year -- perhaps even the warmest on record."
Environment Minister Peter Garrett used the report to attack opposition politicians for blocking the government's key climate policy, a carbon emissions trading scheme (ETS) aimed at reducing greenhouses gases causing global warming.
"Australia is one of the hottest and driest inhabited places on earth and our environment and economy will be one of the hardest and fastest hit by climate change," said Garrett.
"Today's statement finds that the patterns of the last year and the decade are consistent with global warming. It (passing the ETS) is in the national interest and it is in the interest of the world," he said in a statement.
The government has promised to reintroduce its ETS legislation to parliament in February, a move which may trigger an early election in 2010 if the legislation is again defeated.
An election is due in late 2010.
EXTREME BUSHFIRES, HEATWAVES
The year 2009 will be remembered for "extreme bushfires, dust-storms, lingering rainfall deficiencies, areas of flooding and record-breaking heatwaves," said the bureau.
In fact, 2009 was Australia's second warmest year on record, with the annual mean temperature 0.90 degrees Celsius above the 1961-1990 average, driven by three record-breaking heatwaves that caused Australia's most deadly bushfires, killing 173 people.
"To get one of them in a year would have been unusual. To get three is just really quite remarkable," said Jones.
Outback Australia was warming more quickly than other parts of the country, with some inland areas warming at twice the rate of coastal regions, said the bureau.
But as Australia warmed, with large tracts of the country battling a decade-long drought, the northern part of the country was becoming wetter, said the bureau.
Floods now cover large parts of northern New South Wales state and the tropical state of Queensland.
"Australia as a whole has been getting warmer for about 50-60 years and it's actually been tending to get wetter," said Jones. "You see this paradox -- the country, particularly in the north, it's getting wetter but is also warming up."Australia experienced its hottest decade on record from 2000 to 2009 due to global... more
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Pledging to “move toward a low-carbon society,” leaders of the world’s richest nations endorsed Tuesday the idea of cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2050, but did not specify whether the starting point would be current levels or 1990 levels, and refused to set a short-term target for reducing the gases that scientists agree are warming the planet.
The declaration by the so-called Group of Eight — the United States, Japan, Germany, Britain, France, Italy, Canada and Russia — came under intense criticism from environmentalists, who called it a missed opportunity and said it ignores the urgent need to cut emissions more rapidly.
However, European leaders, who have long pressed President Bush to adopt a more aggressive stance on climate change, said they were pleased with the agreement, which is nonbinding. They cast it as an important step toward laying the groundwork for a binding international treaty, to be negotiated in Copenhagen in 2009 under the auspices of the United Nations.
“This is a strong signal to citizens around the world,” the president of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, told reporters at a news conference near here. “The science is clear, the economic case for action is stronger than ever. Now we need to go the extra mile to secure an ambitious global deal in Copenhagen.”
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To me this sends a strong signal that for the fate of this Earth and our species to be in the hands of these eight countries means that nothing effective will be done to solve this urgent crisis. Again, this is what happens when you make this crisis a political issue. Halving by 2050 is NOT GOOD ENOUGH. The Arctic ice will be melted by then (which of course they probably want to be able to plunder the resources there as well,) coal plants will have spewed millions of tons of toxic gases into the air by then, and many islands in other parts of our world already threatened by sea level rise will be feeling the affects of our behavior. As it stands now we are approaching the third degree of a six degree doomsday scenario. Are these leaders so greedy and blind to scientific reports that they actually think this is good enough? And the fact that it is non binding is simply and honestly, BS.
As an environmentalist but more importantly as a citizen of the world I am outraged that these men of rich countries think they can tell the poor of this world who will feel the brunt of this most what they are going to do. I say it is time for people to tell them that they are going to do what must be done. I now have little hope for Copenhagen next year. All I see are political leaders using this crisis as an economic ping pong ball and bargaining chip as droughts become more pervasive and prolonged, glaciers continue to melt, storms become more intense, and the resources that we depend on from our land and oceans become scarcer and more polluted. As it is already the oceans are more acidic than we thought, and should this be the first summer the Arctic is ice free it is only a portent of more to come. We don't have until 2050 for politicians to get around to this!
What will it take to get the message through to these people? A global revolution? Remember this also, all of this opens the doors for government and multi nationals to continue their chokehold on the poor and oppressed. This climate crisis is just what they are looking for to institute a one world government and make the most profit they can from this. So of course, they will take their time. That is why they alone cannot be allowed to dictate to us what our future will be, especially when our survival is on the line. Good enough? No. It is an outrage.Pledging to “move toward a low-carbon society,” leaders of the... more
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This is a shocking video of modern day genocide being commited by the church,the corporations, and government, today in the country of Canada. Unless you watch this,you wouild never believe that this is happening today, in our neighboring county. I love Canada. I love the land and the people,but after watching this shocking report of atrocities that are taking place today,I have no illusions about the government there,especially the government/church/ and corporation alliance
Most media outlets around he world, have caved into pressure about the viewing of the horrible trith,and the revelations of the ongoings of the church. I can only hope that current.com does not fall prey to the same tactics. For those of us that seek truth in everything that we encounter today, this a must see video,and please pass it on. This is a shocking video of modern day genocide being commited by the church,the... more
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Dr. Martin Luther King spoke out against America's involvement in Viet Nam after being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway,December 10th.1964, for work and speech on Non-Violence. This angered the government of the United States,as well as vast majority of the population that felt that he being ungrateful after being awarded and unpatriotic in not supporting this country's involvement in southeast Asia. Most White Americans had favored Dr. King over the more Malcom X, who at that time,before his assasination,did not preach nonviolence. Malcom X, who after leaving the Nation of Islam, changed his name to El-Hadj Malik el-Shabazz, spoke of "by any means necessary". But while Dr. King was still considered the more passive and non-threatning of the two, America was not comfortable with Blacks speaking out on the international stage against American foreign policy. America has not expirienced changed as a nation the way it did in the late 60's and early 70's since then.. After the war and then Watergate,the nation was silenced. Why ?
Some believed that after a series of assasinations of JFK, Malcom X, MLK, AND Robert Kennedy Jr, most leaders,as well as most people had become afraid to speak out, that is until today.
The irony, in the eyes of Dr. King, was that he was awarded the peace prize for asking Negroes,(as we were referd to back then,) to be passive against Alabama Governor Bull Conner's vicious dogs and waterboarding, then denounced for praticing the same non-violent methodology against the North Vietnamese. Since that time, a pattern has developed. Andy Young, who was later Secretary of State under then President Jimmy Carter, was later forced to reisgn his post for his handling of a situation that involved Israel. Although he was Secretary of State at that time,and that was his role,politians at home sharply criticized for actions and he was force to resign. Today Condeleeza Rice assumes that role and is sharply critcized by both Blacks and Whites in America, as well people all over the world because she's apart of the George Bush regime, however because she is a woman,to most,she's always been considered non-threatning to the Whte male establishment and this leads us to today.Unfortunately, some Americans sadly still fill that," the sons and daughters of formers slaves should never speak on behalf of this great country.( See the Virginia Election results.)
If he were alive, what would Dr. King say about America's involvement in the middle east today , and would this country honor his presence the way we do in his memory ,or would that have changed also after his speech on War. It's obvious to some as to why John McCain voted against a National Holiday in his name, being a former POW of the Viet Nam war. Was immortalizing him in death the safest way out for this government ? In a nutshell, how would Dr. King feel about America today, and how would America feel about Dr. King ? Dr. Martin Luther King spoke out against America's involvement in Viet Nam... more
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Blackwater is the private security,and American government's mercenary group that was found guilty of humanitarian crimes that included the unprovoked murders of a countless number of unarmed Iraqi civilians.They had been kicked out of Iraq. Their stories were told on 60 Minutes and other mainstream media outlets in this country.What's not being told is that,not only have they been sent back to patrol the streets of Iraq, but that the right-wing,fundamental Christian sponsored, mercenary group is now being unleashed in the city streets of America.
It apparently didn't bother Americans that much when that were using Iraqi civilians as target practice to sharping their killing skills.What will Americans say when they find out that these,"found guilty" mercenaries are being sent our cities to patrol the streets,by this,"shadow government,that most Americans claim does not really exist.Our congressman or senators of this government say that ,they themselves, have no knowledge as to who does control and monitor Blackwater.So who does oversee these so-called private security groups like Blackwater,and since they have immunity from prosecution,who do they answer to.
Since2001,the Bush administration has funded Blackwater with than one billion dollars for private contracts throughout the world,while over one hundred billion dollars are awarded to in military defense contracts to private security companies every year,around the world.The average salary for a Blackwater secuity agent is around twelve hundred dollars a day.That's six times more than the salary that the American soldiers are being paid to fight the same war. In addition to this,the new Iraqi constituttion that the American government help the Iraqis write, no longer has the authority to expell Blackwater and other private security firms from their own country.
Must See Video
http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/12964-blackwater-banned-in-iraq
Blackwater is the private security,and American government's mercenary group... more
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The American government claims that our interest abroad,Iraq in particular,is for freedom of the Iraqi people. If that is true,how can we watch the on going suffering of the people in Haiti only hundreds of miles from the Florida coast. Worst than that,our government allows immigrants from almost any country except Haiti to seek political asylum in the U.S. Mexicans,Latins from Central America,Cubans, most people from Europe and all over the rest of the planet can come to America,except Haitians. Why is that? What is so bad about Haitian people that the U.S. coast guard will turn their makeshift rafts around in the middle of the oceans deadly currents,knowing that people who are only seeking freedom and a better way of life for themselves and their families,while being turned around will now risk death by either sea or political execution upon their forced return to the small famished,diseased stricken island..
Haiti people are so poor that baking of mud cookies has becomie a staple in the Haitian diet. Bcause it is normal, some people in America think that it is done more in tradition that it is out of necessity. It's mormal because of poverty. Shame on America. Shame on us as a neighboring country to ignore the Haitian people as if they just a bunch of diseased animals just waitig to die. Is love thy neighbor as thyself just a biblical fairytale ?
Would we allow the United States government to ignore this ambarrassing modern day atrocity to take place if Haitians were White and not Black ? I don't think so. We, as a Nation, are just as guilty as all of Europe was, that watched Adolph Hitler annihilate German's Jews.These are crimes against humanity. Some,with Christians with twisted minds,justify turning their backs on the small island south of Florida, by truly thinking that Haiti is really Hades, as in the Biblical place called Hell.
Must See Videos: The Lost Children Of Haiti. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20293963/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23507559
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5054522
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/up/20411141#20411141
Must See Videos: ( Watch On Real Video Stream ) :
Haiti Is The Poorest Nation In Tthe Western Hemisphere.
http://www.democracynow.org/2008/5/1/back_from_haiti_rev_jesse_jackson
http://www.democracynow.org/2008/4/24/the_us_role_in_haitis_foodThe American government claims that our interest abroad,Iraq in particular,is for... more
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We live in a disposable society...
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Ever considered playing for a Major League Baseball team, but you dont have anything remotely resembling athletic ability? No problem. Youre just one phone call away from playing for the prestigious failure factory that is the Kansas City Royals! Ever considered playing for a Major League Baseball team, but you dont have anything... more
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Thank you, The Today Show, for proving that even insane old women who live in apartments lined with empty alpo cans can still make it into a segment on your showThank you, The Today Show, for proving that even insane old women who live in... more
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