Category: Economics

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How Net Zero Killed 1.5

“The Paris Agreement is dead. The celebrated target marked in ink in 2016 has been killed by the focus on technocratic solutions over systemic change. Now, rather than address the frightening reality spawned by delusion and incompetence, we’re heading even faster towards two degrees—and that being the new acceptable target. Earth system scientist James Dyke explains that we cannot allow this new target to be set, which the fossil fuel industry is pushing for. ” – from the introduction

‘Net zero’ is arguably the biggest and most widespread ruse ever perpetrated  worldwide by a capitalist cabal. It continues even now…unabated.

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Luis Lopezllera Mendes Presente!

photo of Luis Lopezllera Mendes

My dear friend and mentor Luis Lopezllera passed from this life the end of  October. Luis was the kindest, gentlest, most positive person I believe I have ever met. We met in Mexico City in 1986 in the aftermath of the Mexico City earthquake through the Partners of the Americas when San Francisco was ‘partnered’ with Mexico City. On that first trip to Mexico, Luis introduced me to the urban slums where masses of poor people were living in makeshift housing on dirt floors. We then worked together on and off over the next few years focusing on my bringing microcomputers and internet access to the NGO community in Mexico and throughout the region.

Luis was a great man, a true realist, a stellar human being. There are very few people you meet in life who are truly humble, largely behind the scenes, doing transformative work. Luis was one of them.  Luis had a vision of a better world and he worked tirelessly to achieve it. Through his organization, Promocion del Desarrollo Popular, he had great effect upon many people and movements.  If you search on his name, you will get an idea of the scope and reach of his life and work. Example.

Luis you are already now and for a long time to come will be sorely missed. You are present in our hearts and minds.

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Energy Conservation versus Energy Production

Energy conservation (benign) could offset production (destructive). But no. Capitalism demands production, extractivism. Nature then pays the price. What we do to nature, we do to ourselves, as we are nature. The latest report of the IPCC Working Group II (Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability), points to the importance of integrating ‘indigenous and local knowledge’ in research and adaptation. Now even scientists understand that our dominant epistemology is a failure. The sooner we listen to this truth telling, the better. We can then change our behavior, rearrange our priorities, and begin to mitigate the worst effects of climate chaos.

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Capitalism Defiles the Truth

removed linkedin post about Ivermectin

Social media companies bow to capitalist demands, filtering content which clashes with their profiteering. This even if it flies in the face of the truth.  I posted an article on LinkedIn published on the National Institute of Health’s website on the use of Ivermectin for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 in poor countries, and it was removed. LinkedIn no doubt removed the post as it clashed with their corporate customer’s carefully orchestrated campaign against Ivermectin  in order to further boost their obscene and unconscionable profits from their exclusive intellectual property vaccines which they refuse to share with the world.

We now live in a world of advanced capitalism which increasingly defiles the truth. Whenever mis and dis-information occurs, the old adage ‘follow the money’ will set you free to discover the truth.

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Globalization: Structural Violence & Precarity Institution

The largest trade agreement ever  – the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) – starts today. Globalization continues apace disrupting  local, national and regional economies, expanding the precariat, neutering local community control, wiping out self-reliance & self-sufficiency knowledge and skill sets, and creating unsustainable dependencies for essential goods and services.  The real tragedy of this economistic zombie death march however is what climate chaos impacts will do over time. As supply chains fail, states and their populations will reel in crisis. What is needed is localization, the opposite of globalization.