Dr Keith Walker @SteelFolk@qoto.org

100+ from Scientist Rebellion are again demonstrating peacefully against fossil subsidies, on the A12 in The Hague, organised by @extinctionrebellionnl . As well as the white lab coats, 20+ professors are also present in academic robes. In total there is an est. 10,000+ protestors present

I'm personally in favour of banning political parties that are entirely bankrolled by their millionaire leaders. Seems much more important for democracy than banning the EU flag at the last night of the Proms.

A read of the Harpers article shows how much freedom to govern itself a city like Birmingham had in the 1890s, compared to modern English cities, which are run under the centralised authority (but not responsibility) of Whitehall and the Treasury. May be the main reason for the difference?

Article by @davidallengreen
Whatever happened to ‘the best-governed city in the world’? https://emptycity.substack.com/p/whatever-happened-to-the-best-governed?

Philosophising consumerism.
A beautiful philosophical journey on the meaning of being a consumer in a consumer society.

By Lewis Waller

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmDoUa4f-NM

#consumption #philosophy #capitalism

Exploring Trumpism's cult-like grip: a deep dive into the psychology of loyalty. This piece dissects the eerie similarities between Trumpism and classic cults, shedding light on the manipulation tactics of both. Can we break free from this political cult? There just might be a chance. https://thinkbigpicture.substack.com/p/trumpism-maga-cult-deprogram-democracy

A top advisor to Zelensky states that Elon Musk's decision to assist Russia by disabling Starlink for the Ukrainians led to the deaths of civilians, including children.

The crunch comes when Labour publish the GE manifesto. Whatever it says IS what they will try to do, unforeseen circumstances aside. They have to. If a party wins, it is deemed to be because people liked what you pledged in that document. It is what has got you elected. The will of the people, you might say.
That's when hoping for all this Tory-lite rhetoric to have been a cunning disguise may have to end.

Greta Thunberg: „After a summer full of extreme weather and shattered records, the world is still gearing up towards climate catastrophe. We need climate activists now more than ever. On Sept 15th we’ll once again strike for climate justice, to #EndFossilFuels.“
More info at: ➡️ http://fridaysforfuture.org
#KlimaStreik #FFF #FridaysForFuture

Hottest sea surface temperatures on record this year. By far.
Brutally hot August land surface temperatures.

https://climate.copernicus.eu/surface-air-temperature-august-2023

Ørsted, world OSW leader, needs a lrg jump in guaranteed prices to $150-200 per MWh or it will abandon its immense wind farms off the US East Coast.

Yet Mass, NJ, & NY just closed excellent #nuclear plants making just as much #energy, but costing $35-55 per MWh. Estimates of costs of energy produced by extended operations of Diablo Canyon Power Plant are ~4c/kwh, or $40/MWh.

Need I say more?

#climatechange #science

Climate Change Is Driving Ever-Higher Food Prices

"The standout example of how extreme weather can drive up food prices is olive oil. The Mediterranean staple has more than doubled over the last 12 months to $8,000 a metric ton, a record high according to statistics tracked by the International Monetary Fund back to 1990. Extreme heat was the culprit as Spain, the world’s largest producer, was hard hit by drought."

#climatechange #climateimpacts

https://www.barrons.com/articles/food-prices-inflation-2023-17f99f5

When Thomas Mann learned in 1937 that the University of Bonn had voided his degree in compliance with the bestial regime, he wrote a letter to the Dean, from exile.

It still stands as a monument to dignity in the face of atrocity.

https://www.pro-europa.eu/europe/mann-thomas-god-help-our-darkened-and-desecrated-country/

Anyone else feels like we need to delete the label 'carbon-neutral' from any sustainability vocabulary because, well, it's an enormous, gigantic lie whose only purpose is to shield business-as-usual and to make individuals feel good without them having to engage in any meaningful substancial change?

#ClimateDiary #Greenwashing

Trumpism has all the trappings of a classic cult of personality: a charismatic figure at the center who is worshiped as a modern messiah by his followers; a leader who seemingly can do no wrong, even while engaged in patterns of criminal behavior to grift money from them; a master manipulator who controls the behavior, thoughts, information, and emotions of his flock.

So, how do we stop this cult from spreading further? https://thinkbigpicture.substack.com/p/trumpism-maga-cult-deprogram-democracy

Inaccessibility Cycle

‼️ With 400 scientists we've written a call to politics:
a) our climate policies are not "ambitious", as is commonly claimed
b) climate politics is mired in partisan manoeuvring & infighting
👉 We call for 3 things:
1) Limited pollution: a transparent commitment to a CO2 budget
2) Justice: no self-serving CO2 budget, it has to be internationally fair
3) Responsibility: exceeding it raises liabilities for losses & damage
👉 needs coalitions across society & party lines
https://info-de.scientists4future.org/keine-parteigrenzen-fur-die-klimapolitik

This Guardian podcast is worth a listen, esp in light of recent crumbling concrete revelations. MPs can't even get on with fixing the place they work in, when next falling stone chunk might hit one of them (though ofc it's far more likely to be some poor sod who does the catering or whatever). Some want the repairs done round them, despite the increased cost & timeline. No wonder they're letting schools crumble!

Rats, fires and floods: why Parliament is falling down https://www.podbean.com/ea/dir-cq4dc-1a83eef7

So let me get this straight. Mark Meadows testified that he got involved in the fake electors scheme because (checks notes) he would be afraid Trump would yell at him if he didn’t? That’s his defense? Trump is mean and I was scared of him?

For fans of the show, truly iconic.
https://www.comicsands.com/heather-morris-naya-rivera-strike-2664433384.html?utm_source=threads&utm_medium=infeed&utm_campaign=linkprogram

Moonshot just now. #photography #astrophotography #moon