Alarming reports from the Rights and Resources Initiative show that an escalation in land acquisition and deforestation is underway. The cause underpinning this land grab is increasing demand for crop land upon which to grow food and biofuel. The consequence of this deforestation will be an acceleration of the destruction of nature and humanity’s home. …
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Category:Risk and Terror
A very worrying World Oil Outlook 2008
OPEC’s World Oil Outlook 2008 is a realistic but very worrying analysis of the global energy picture. It discusses the recent gyrations of the price of oil and its underlying drivers, in particular the growth of speculation, and outlines demand and supply parameters. While it projects a sufficient supply for the coming decades, whether or …
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9/11 World Trade Centre controlled demolition evidence
The mystery of why “Tower 7” collapsed hours after the twin towers, and with no plane having crashed in to it, is expected to be “solved”. Investigators are planning to say it was caused by fire. But this is just a cover-up, as this news report shows. The evidence that it was a controlled demolition …
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California burning
Fire season in California is of to a hot start. Since June 20 over half a million acres have been consumed. The news hasn’t been as prevalent as last year because residential areas have not been so affected … yet – though 40 residences have been destroyed already. It is still early in the season …
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Australia ends Iraq combat
Australia, one of the first countries to commit troops to the war in Iraq five years ago, has ended its combat operations there. About 300 Australians will remain inside Iraq on logistical and air surveillance duties. This withdrawal is in line with a promise by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd who won the election in November. …
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Still a primitive world – AI report on human rights 2008
Amnesty International released their annual report on human rights. It continues to paint a stark picture of humanity. Violence is the culture of too many places, and of too many rich countries. With the richest countries still failing to respect human life, despite teh intellect and wealth available to nurture, it remains a dream that …
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Remember the Killing Fields
News of the death of Dith Pran caught my eye. Dith’s passing was premature and probably painful as he died from pancreatic cancer. His talent and determination brought the horror of humanity’s Killing Fields to our notice. It follows the shameful murder of Haing S. Ngor, the actor who played Dith in the movie. Ngor’s …
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What peace process in the middle east?
How can anyone be deluded about the unwillingness to compromise in the Middle East. The Annapolis meeting of last year has proven to be worthless (as expected). Poisoning water (of soldiers as well as civilians) is tantamount to chemical warfare and unethical. The bombing raids just exacerbate the problem. Israels belligerents need to grow up …
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Amnesty reports decline in Russian liberty
Amnesty International released Freedom Limited, a report detailing declining freedom of speech in Putin’s Russia. Unsurprising, but sad news. A backlash is inevitable, but probably later rather than sooner. Intelligent systems naturally tend to open systems; Russia’s wealth is fuelling its intellectual capacities which will demand openness in governance. BBC report
The world says NO to the death penalty
The United Nations General Assembly has at last voted for a global moratorium on the death penalty. While the resolution is nonbinding and its symbolic weight was hardly mentioned in US media, for those who have been trying to move the world away from lethal revenge as government policy, this was a milestone. The resolution …
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