A 4 minute video of the 1920s crash posted by the BBC is here: The Road to Hooverville. It’s a familiar story. And, unfortunately, without real solutions. But it puts us in the picture.
Author:astraea
The Spiral of Ignorance
The best part of this opinion piece by The Economist is the title. It is, unfortunately, too true that we are ignorant of the situation we are in and ignorant of how to get out. That was made so clear in the few clips of the World Economic Forum that I saw – leaders bleating …
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Cooking makes humans intelligent.
It’s a pet hypothesis that interesting food makes interesting (and interested) people. There seems to be a correlation between interesting people and their interest in food and cooking. People who appreciate variety in food and who can play in the kitchen seem to be that little bit more passionate about life. … well, that’s the …
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Nationalisation, deglobalisation … Communism?
Not yet. But the hasty reaction to economic problems may become more self-destructive than necessary. Certainly moves to nationalise banks have been necessary to hold the global financial system “together”. And there has been a fall in trade as consumption has faltered. But the increasing popular call for government involvement and deglobalisation is dangerous and …
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Why sustainability is still going strong.
From the Financial Times In the wake of the deepening economic crisis, many commentators are warning of the demise of corporate sustainability, the practice of balancing profit with the social and environmental impact of doing business. Companies obsessed with their own short-term survival, they suggest, cannot possibly support long-term, “feel-good” initiatives to protect the environment …
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Is a food crisis looming? Can solutions be implemented fast enough?
The cost of food remains high. The UN is addressing the issue as a matter of urgency. While energy prices have halved over the past year, the cost of food remains high, particularly for people who spend most of their wealth on food. The buoyancy of trade also hinders access to food. Though the financial …
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Britannica to follow Wikipedia. Twas inevitable.
Encyclopaedia Brittanica is adopting some of the open management approach of Wikipedia to improve its product. Readers and contributing experts will help expand and maintain entries online. I don’t suppose it will have the vibrancy of Wikipedia, but it is testament to the power of open systems. Meanwhile, Wikipedia is proposing a system of flagged …
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Our planet – cool, but warm …
Calendar year 2008 was the coolest year since 2000, according to the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) analysis of worldwide temperature measurements, but it was still in the top ten warmest years since the start of record-keeping in 1880. Given the range of uncertainty in the measurements, the GISS team concluded that 2008 …
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BT Notes – A time of new beginnings
One of the highlights during our holidays was the Walk in the Woods. It was amazing – we had over 50 people from about 7 months to over 70 years old, tramping through the woods and along the river beat. Afterwards we enjoyed hot chocolate, hot wine and some cake and biscuits. It was great …
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Destruction and massacre in The Middle East- the embarrassment of the rich world
A cease fire in Gaza has allowed the full scale of death and devastation to be be seen. Hundreds of people killed and wounded, mostly civilians in a few short weeks. Buildings and utilities destroyed. For what? For pride. There is no doubt that the conflict in Palestine is complex. There is no easy solution. …
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