03 Economy – Page 81 – Public Intelligence Blog

Twenty five per cent of Americans are open to secession and the break up of the United States. To this add that better than 3 out of 4 Americans are unhappy. And that 64 per cent can't even name the three branches of government. This is a country in crisis.

Angry With Washington, 1 in 4 Americans Open to Secession
Reuters/The Raw Story

The failed Scottish vote to pull out from the United Kingdom stirred secessionist hopes for some in the United States, where almost a quarter of people are open to their states leaving the union, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll found.

Some 23.9 percent of Americans polled from Aug. 23 through Sept. 16 said they strongly supported or tended to support the idea of their state breaking away, while 53.3 percent of the 8,952 respondents strongly opposed or tended to oppose the notion.

The urge to sever ties with Washington cuts across party lines and regions, though Republicans and residents of rural Western states are generally warmer to the idea than Democrats and Northeasterners, according to the poll.

Continue reading “SchwartzReport: 25% US Citizens Support Secession & Break-Up of USA + Meta-RECAP”

2014/09/18

Jean Lievens: Overhaul Global Economy — Deals with Climate Change, Generates More and Better Profits

03 Economy, 03 Environmental Degradation, Ethics, Future-Oriented

Climate change report: prevent damage by overhauling global economy

Reducing emissions can generate better growth than old high-carbon model, says co-author of report, Lord Stern.

The world can still act in time to stave off the worst effects of climate change, and enjoy the fruits of continued economic growth as long as the global economy can be transformed within the next 15 years, a group of the world's leading economists and political leaders will argue on Tuesday.

Tackling climate change can be a boon to prosperity, rather than a brake, according to the study involving a roll-call of the globe's biggest institutions, including the UN, the OECD group of rich countries, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, and co-authored by Lord Stern, one of the world's most influential voices on climate economics.

The report comes ahead of a UN-convened summit of world leaders on global warming next week at which David Cameron has pledged to lead calls for strong action.

“Reducing emissions is not only compatible with economic growth and development – if done well it can actually generate better growth than the old high-carbon model,” said Stern.

Read full article.

2014/09/142014/09/14

SchwartzReport: Syngenta Akss EPA to Raise Tolerance Level for Bee Killing Chemical by 400X — Evil, Shameless, Greedy — and the EPA Might be Corrupt Enough to Agree to Kill Remaining Bees

01 Agriculture, 03 Economy, 03 Environmental Degradation, 06 Family, 07 Health, 07 Other Atrocities, 10 Transnational Crime, 11 Society, Commerce, Corruption, Earth Intelligence, Government

This is the latest in the bee crisis. It is so shameless and greedy it is breath-taking. Monsanto, Syngenta. These are evil corporations.

Please contact the EPA and let them know you are opposed to this. The decision will directly affect your life.

Syngenta Asks EPA to Raise Tolerance Level for ‘Bee-killing' Chemical
TIFFANY STECKER – E & E Publishing

Seed and crop management company Syngenta Crop Protection LLC has petitioned U.S. EPA to increase the legal tolerance for a neonicotinoid pesticide residue in several crops — in one case increasing the acceptable level by 400 times, according to a notice in today's Federal Register.

Continue reading “SchwartzReport: Syngenta Akss EPA to Raise Tolerance Level for Bee Killing Chemical by 400X — Evil, Shameless, Greedy — and the EPA Might be Corrupt Enough to Agree to Kill Remaining Bees”

2014/09/132014/09/13

Yoda: California Goes Dry…

01 Agriculture, 03 Economy, 03 Environmental Degradation, 06 Family, 07 Health, 07 Other Atrocities, 09 Justice, 11 Society, 12 Water

Irresponsible, government is….

Not One Drop: How Long Will California Survive Life Without Water?

Tony Dokoupil

NBC News,

EXTRACTS

As the California drought approaches its fourth year, Seville’s well is one of hundreds of private water holes coughing up sand and spitting air in the Central Valley, according to Tulare County officials. As many as 100,000 more wells are at risk around the state if the rains don’t come by October.

. . . . . . .

“To shower, I use a cup, just like when I was in ‘Nam,” he said, stepping away from a stream of glistening neighbors, most of them just back from the fields. Some had dust on their ear lobes and deep in their wrinkles. None had a simple way to shower in town that night. “We’re living in a third world country now,” he continued.

. . . . . . .

“Everything was so nice,” admitted Maria. But not anymore. “California is going dry.”

Read full article.

Phi Beta Iota: All of this was understood by Jimmy Carter and his most professional civil servants. Also understood was that he would be assassinated if he tried to do anyting in relation to controlling energy and water use in the public interest and against special interests. We are entering an era in which portions of the USA are going to die and create internal displaced persons. While it is not too late to avert massive national catastrophe on multiple policy fronts, the government lacks both integrity in its electoral and governance systems, and integrity in intelligence (decision-support). Hence, the next decade for the USA is likely to be very grim.

2014/09/11

Jean Lievens: Gerry Mooney on Open Scotland — Hybrid Grassroots Activism Empowered by Social Media

03 Economy, 11 Society, Crowd-Sourcing, Governance, Politics

Social media and grassroots activism have taken Scotland to the brink of independence

Gerry Mooney

The Conversation, 8 September 2014

EXTRACTS

If you wanted an explanation for the momentum that has carried the Yes campaign to the brink of victory in the Scottish referendum, you have to look at what’s happening on the ground. The extent to which the independence referendum has engaged and mobilised people during the campaign is palpable.

. . . . . . .

Yet as tends to be forgotten, the pro-independence movement also includes The Scottish Green Party; The Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament; The Scottish Socialist Party; the socialist party Solidarity; Women For Independence; the artists and creatives group National Collective and the socialist Radical Independence Campaign. Yes Scotland is a loose amalgam and umbrella of different pro-independence groups and individuals. A significant number of front-line activists campaigning under the Yes Scotland banner represent ordinary people with no party political membership. Some have never been involved in political activism before.

. . . . . . .

The demarcation between professional politicians and this grassroots mobilisation of ordinary people appears to be blurred in this contemporary Scottish political landscape. It is evident that a hybrid movement has emerged within the campaign, which according to Tommy Sheridan “dwarfs the anti-poll tax campaign” that he led in the late 1980s.

. . . . . . .

The opportunity to build a new Scotland free from nuclear weapons, austerity and welfare cuts has widespread appeal. It is this concern with social justice and welfare that has galvanised support for Yes.

Read full article.

2014/09/112014/09/11

Steven Aftergood: US Intelligence Budget Data — PBI: Understated but on the Record

03 Economy, 04 Inter-State Conflict, 05 Civil War, 07 Other Atrocities, 09 Terrorism, 10 Security, 10 Transnational Crime, 11 Society, Corruption, Director of National Intelligence et al (IC), DoD, Government, Ineptitude, IO Deeds of War, IO Impotency, Military, Office of Management and Budget, Officers Call, Peace Intelligence

Intelligence Budget Data

On March 4, 2014, the Administration submitted its Fiscal Year 2015 budget request, including a base funding request of $45.6 billion for the National Intelligence Program (NIP), and a base funding request of $13.3 billion for the Military Intelligence Program (MIP). On June 30, the DNI submitted an updated FY2015 budget request of $49.4 billion for the NIP including funding for overseas contingency operations. An updated budget request figure for the MIP has not yet been disclosed.

Phi Beta Iota: We consider these figures to be severely deceptive and roughly 70% of the actual combined total budget for green and black intelligence capabilities that are secret, toxic, and a mix of benignly worthless (standing armies of ignorant analysts, collection that is not processed) and pathologically dangerous (drones, renditions, covert operations, subsidies to foreign intelligence services). Our best guess of the actual total US secret intelligence budget remains US$100 billion per year, inclusive of thousands of private sector “intelligence” capabilities (many of them “open source” and extremely mediocre) that are embedded within acquisition and other contracts, all out of control and of dubious value.

IC Budget Table Cropped — Click on Table to Enlarge

Click to access Office of the Director of National Intelligence Budget Justifications

2014/09/102014/09/10

Yoda: Scientists Use Gold Substrate to Synthesize Germanene

03 Economy, Earth Intelligence

Scientists Use Gold Substrate to Synthesize Germanene

Germanene is made of just one layer of germanium atoms. The researchers believe that the material has good electrical and optical properties and can be used in future electronics. The team also believes that the unique properties of the material could also lead to its use in quantum computing.

Wonder material graphene is considered to be an ideal candidate for use in next-generation of electronics. However, other researchers are looking at materials beyond graphene such as “Silicine”, which is made of silicon.

Read full article.