Monday, December 29, 2014

People in Asia suffer from #climatechange caused by western car culture

Nothing is being done to stop greenhouse gas emissions. Instead the west continues fighting energy wars to support US autosprawl.

At least 24 killed in Malaysia, Thailand floods as 200,000 evacuated | Al Jazeera America: "Severe flooding in Malaysia and Thailand has killed at least 24 people and forced the evacuation of more than 200,000, according to official data reported Sunday."

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Trillions wasted on #autosprawl. Planners: "oops."

BetterCities : "How did the transportation planning and engineering professions go so wrong? In the Journal of the American Planning Association, Eric Dumbaugh of Florida Atlantic University explains how some tenets of modern street design grew out of conjecture, not science, that seemed reasonable at the time. Research that did not fit with the prevailing model was disregarded as aberration. This thinking was not questioned as long as US real estate markets and public opinion favored suburban expansion.

Now the market and public sentiment has shifted and new tools like Walk Score are breaking the foundations of conventional traffic engineering. After trillions of dollars invested, this must be embarrassing."

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

#IslamicState forces Saudi Kingdom to take desperate gamble

Russia has been rising in power as the US is bogged down by resistance in Ukraine, Iraq, and Syria. Saudi oil is running out, costing more every day to pump water in and out. Cheap oil is the cornerstone of western power.

Now they have to use the last of their oil and risk financial chaos to weaken Russia. The cheap oil in Kirkuk, Iraq, may soon be controlled by the Islamic State. This would be a tremendous blow to western power.

The Islamic State is like a third player in a chess game. The US wants regime change in Syria, but now is forced to support its enemies.

The gamble will fail and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia itself will fall to the Islamic State by September 2015.

Monday, December 22, 2014

Gasoline price not the biggest factor in #publictransit usage

NYTimes.com: "Increased transit use also reflects an increasingly urban lifestyle by younger residents who demand more walkable, bikeable, transit-friendly communities, Ms. Scott said.

More transit use is one sign of a shift away from a suburban lifestyle that characterized a previous generation but may not be compatible with newer ones, Ms. Scott said.

“It’s not sustainable, and people know it now,” she said. “It’s a picture of what America was 30, 40 years ago. We’re painting a new picture in terms of where we’re going, and it’s very consistent with providing quality transit.”"

Thursday, December 18, 2014

#Publictransit gives your city "global appeal."

Why cities need public transport to be competitive | CityMetric: "There’s one last element in how public transport helps make cities more competitive: that’s what we call the “global appeal” of a city. Public transport networks and infrastructure play an essential role in city tourism development, as it is often the prime means for visitors – whether on business or for leisure – to get about the city, to access heritage and cultural sites, and to access local businesses. Research from the American Public Transportation Association has shown that cities with rail transport from nearby airports to the city centre are more attractive for both business travellers and international conferences and meetings, thus benefiting local economies."

Monday, December 15, 2014

Resource Insights: The high cost of low-priced oil

Comment by North Coast : "Make use of the temporary glut and low prices to prep for much tighter oil supplies in the future, and unaffordable prices.

Now is the time to arrange your life for much lower energy consumption. That means weatherize your dwelling, or sell your place in your car-dependent town or suburb, and move somewhere where you could imagine doing without not only a car, but with half as much energy available to do absolutely everything.

This would be a good time to invest in what truly viable renewables exist, and in learning skills that will help you live with much less, and do more with what you have. It would also be a good time for our authorities to stop allocating money to energy-hog infrastructure that will be rendered obsolete by steeply reduced fossil fuel supplies in the future, such as highways and airports, and invest in rail (NOT "high speed" either), and water transportation. But I doubt they will do this. Instead, they'll double down on "investment' in systems dependent on cheap fuel."




Sunday, December 14, 2014

It's important to expose #falseflag operations

As the system of debt and energy-waste continues to collapse, more and more people rise up and fight back. The elites are seeking the support of the middle class to crush the poor. They stage hostage situations for maximum media effect. They have their police set fires and break windows and then blame the "savage mobs."

They also have agents posing as "conspiracy theorists" putting out anti-government statements and then confusing analysis to lead people astray. It takes work to sort through all the propaganda. But this is work that we must do.

See our page on recognizing trolls. We will do another soon on recognizing false flags.

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Last of easy oil being used for economic war

Lower oil prices are not being driven by lower costs. They are a combination of falling demand and economic war between US/KSA vs Russia/Iran.

In exchange for lower price, we will get higher unemployment and more war. There will never be more easy oil -- the cost of extracting oil will continue to rise, regardless of the price.

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Cars need a $37 billion/year raise in road subsidy

Report Says $163 Billion Needed Annually for Transportation Infrastructure | Construction Equipment: "To meet the combined surface transportation needs, it would require an investment of $163 billion investment per year in surface transportation over a six year period. Despite the investment needs, currently only $83 billion is invested in roads and bridges, while just $17.1 billion is invested in public transit."

Saturday, December 6, 2014

Capitalism is destroying the biosphere -- warning signs flashing.

Peak Prosperity: "There are a hundred flashing red warning signs coming to us from the environment, the Earth, and all of its supporting ecosystems.   Either we get off the 'growth at any cost' express train or we risk wrecking important, valuable, essential and beautiful species, ecosystems and support systems that we rely upon for our health, our wealth, and our happiness. 

Once again, you and I do not have any particular need for constant exponential economic growth. It is only our money system that has that demand.

Friday, December 5, 2014

US most brutal regime on earth, but US people don't see it

In the US, children have been taught for years that Columbus was a great man who discovered America. In reality, he was one of the most brutal murderers that ever lived.

That is just the beginning of the lies.

If the US corporate TV media would show pictures of victims of US military for just 1 minute per hour, it would change the world.

Photo from @PMagouirk

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Class division and the myth of renewables

Do you know how much fossil fuel is built into a wind turbine? Most renewables are just a distraction from what must happen. The energy hogs, less than 20% of the worlds population, have to:
  • stop wasting energy
  • stop developing
  • stop killing poor people
  • start sharing
Renewables will not solve the energy/climate problem. They are a hoax to continue the waste. Why? Because profits.

Read more about wrong solutions here: http://fptwrosol.blogspot.com