So Here We Are

The news this month is a variable mish-mash. There is much to celebrate (chiefly the recent finding of the International Court of Justice), and... there is also much to despair of. Here is a sampling of both.   The ongoing efforts by the Trump regime to quash all information pertaining to climate action and good science in general is being countered by people reconstructing websites that have been shut down or 'adjusted to the required ideological standards'.   These iconoclastic activities remind me of 'The Book Smugglers of Timbuktu', which describes the lengths residents of that city went to in 2012 to  preserve ancient writings from an invading force perfectly willing to destroy them.   An account of bibliographic defence on a par with that of the websites of the US Government ... which just goes to show we've done this before, somewhere. Environment The Ugly Coercing Indian scientists to produce the favourable environmental reports required to approve the ...

Hello again. With June just complete, what environmental articles and events have caught the eye this time? It seems that a new section gets added each month, and this post is no exception. For now, the new section will be going under the title of 'Plaigue', to reflect the rapidly increasing (and generally negative) influence artificial intelligence is having on affairs. The images being provided by the recently commissioned Vera Rubin telescope  lend an opportunity to pause and consider 'where we are' in the Universe. Imagine that, somewhere in that dense pack of galaxies, is a modest G-type star with an assortment of dots orbiting it. A particular pale blue dot has a climate beneficial to life, which has allowed the establishment of a self-sustaining environment. Within that environment, life flourishes. That includes Humanity, even though they exist within a social structure generally referred to as the 'economy'.  The economy's place in the Univers...

The good news for May is that the news did not focus exclusively on Trump's antics. To be sure, he's been active, but so have the courts in bringing his Executive Orders into line. Oxygen is getting into the room. Overall, the news still tends to the bad. Yes, Australia rejected the laughable nuclear policies of right wing conservatives, but will the ALP deliver what the electorate wants? The decision to approve Woodside's NW shelf extension gives one pause to reflect. Nevertheless, a few rays of light keep on shining through. One of those rays is the Herds puppet production, whose trailer may be viewed below.    By no means all refugees from climate change are human Environment Battered and bruised, the environment nevertheless continues to serve up some tales of resilience. The Ugly The breaking news is that Australia's new Environment Minister, Senator Murray Watt, has decided to approve a 30 year extension for a large offshore gas project (Woodside's North Wes...