Yoda: New York Bans Fracking — 2 Aspects Everyone Has Missed from the NYT to Mother Jones

Citing Health Risks, Cuomo Bans Fracking in New York State (NYT) Health Department Report on Fracking in New York State (Report) New York State Just Banned Fracking (Mother Jones) Phi Beta Iota: The media coverage of this historic decision has been mediocre. Everyone has missed two really big deals. First, the NY ban stems from …

Berto Jongman: The Costs of War — Human Costs, Economic Costss, Social + Political Costs with Alternatives and Recommendations

Over 350,000 Killed by Violence, $4.4 Trillion Spent and Obligated The wars begun in 2001 have been tremendously painful for millions of people in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan, and the United States, and economically costly as well. Each additional month and year of war adds to that toll. Moreover, the human costs of these conflicts will …

Jean Lievens: The Sharing Economy Will Thrive Only If Government Doesn’t Strangle It

The Sharing Economy Will Thrive Only If Government Doesn’t Strangle It R. J. Lehmann Reason.com, 2 August 2014 We’re unlocking unthinkable amounts of capital and lawmakers stand in the way. The so-called sharing economy is many things to many people. To Wall Street and Silicon Valley, firms like Uber and Airbnb offer tantalizing market capitalizations, …

Public Health Experts Identify Militarism As Threat

Public Health Experts Identify Militarism As Threat A remarkable article appears in the June 2014 issue of the American Journal of Public Health.  (Also available as free PDF here.) The authors, experts in public health, are listed with all their academic credentials: William H. Wiist, DHSc, MPH, MS, Kathy Barker, PhD, Neil Arya, MD, Jon …

Berto Jongman: Odessa (Ukraine) massacre a false flag operation to provoke Putin?

False Flag in Odessa: The Pathetic U.S. Media Coverage “According to the evidence that I’ve seen …Odessa was a giant false flag operation. It… was one of those staged massacres that the pro-Western forces from Bosnia to Kosovo, now Ukraine, excel at staging, intended to draw Russia to overreact and commit military forces … I …

Gordon Cook: Policy Paper on Connectivity

Policy Paper on Connectivity 1. Executive Summary 2. Introduction 3 Technical Background 3.1 Peering and Transit – How thousands of Networks become the Global Internet 4. Special Issues in Connectivity 4.1 Access for Scientists 4.2 Access for Rural Areas 4.3 Access for Citizens via a Civil Society Stakeholder Body 5.The Ecuadorian Political, Economic, and Infrastructural …