Funny thing, politics

But is this a laughing matter . . .   www.youtube.com…   M    Read More

Genghis Khan in Sydney

Up early this cool Autumn morning. Showered in water hot from yesterday’s sun, savoured the simple animal pleasure of the steam of it on the windows.   Walked about 40 minutes to the centre of the city.  Along the edge of Darling Harbour, beside the water all lovely, asparkle, ashowing off in the clear, gods-given sunny, cloudless day.   Then finally to the top floor of the new renovation of the Museum of Modern Art at Circular Quay, functions only.  Isolated from... Read More

Mayor Bloomberg donates $50m to fight coal

Wow. Read this: “Michael Bloomberg will donate $50 million to the Sierra Club’s campaign to get rid of coal-fired power plants. Called Beyond Coal it has helped block the construction of 153 new coal-fired power plants. Bloomberg’s donation will allow the Sierra Club to expand their staff on the anti-coal campaign from 100 to almost 200 full-time workers.They will be spread across 46 states and focus on grassroots organizing, lawsuits and social media. Most politicians... Read More

Dystopian but terrific writing

One of the people I read each week is James Kunstler.  Firstly, because of the writing, and secondly, because his ideas and ‘take’ on things is so interesting. Dystopean, yes.  Boring, no. His books have a more measured and very well researched richness to them. There’s a link on his blog (www.kunstler.com…) to a recent article in Orion Magazine, Back to the Future A road map for tomorrow’s cities and you can read it, here: www.orionmagazine.org… And... Read More

How to make a country unsustainable

The New York Times this week ran an opinion piece by Patricia McArdle (19 June) about how the US has gutted and is ending one of Earth’s most sustainable food systems. Where would they do such a thing? In a place where they mean to do ‘good’;  Afghanistan. Read this  and try not to open your mouth with amazement: www.nytimes.com… As some counterpoint, however, trivial by comparison, there’s this: www.abc.net… “And so we beat on, boats... Read More

New York plans for 3 degree heat rise by 2020

In The Daily Beast: “New York, which is looking at an average temperature increase of up to 3 degrees Fahrenheit by 2020, is planning to paint 3 million square feet of roofs white, to reflect sunlight and thus reduce urban heat-island effects.” See the full article here: www.thedailybeast.com… Change we can believe in, M  Read More

Architect who gave up ‘architecture’ to work with ‘garbage’

In the documentary called, Garbage Warrior, we can see the story, vision and passion of Michael Reynolds who for the last 30 years has been building houses in the US that are self sufficient for energy, water and recycling sewage.  There’s a 3 minute vid here: www.garbagewarrior.com… May the warriors be with us, Michael  Read More

Death by coconut

It’s dangerous out there. Particularly in the US. Twenty people there were killed by coconuts last year.  Read the figures below and shake. Death by Coconut (US Deaths per year) Causes Deaths Percentage Smoking 467,000 63% Obesity 216,000 29% Motor Vehicle 43,354 6% Falls 13,322 2% Drowning 3,842 0.5% Snakes 100 0.013% Other Stinging Bee Deaths 50 0.007% Skate boarding 42 0.006% Falling Coconuts! 20 0.003% *Africanized Honeybees 0.7 0.0001% *of... Read More

Floods, droughts and coal

For a discussion about the links, consequences and finance relating to coal, droughts and floods you may wish to have a look at my article in The Fifth Estate, here: www.thefifthestate.com… Time to turn off the coal, methinks, Michael  Read More

Engrossing analysis of the US failed climate bill

It’s in the New Yorker, here: www.newyorker.com… Excellent writing about a key moment in US and Earth’s history. Enjoy, M  Read More