Autosprawl deleveraging nowhere near finished

http://instagr.am/p/LNvwrCH8rc/

Warning: America’s new Age of Austerity starts now - Paul B. Farrell - MarketWatch: "SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (MarketWatch) — Warning, tighten your belts, America’s new Age of Austerity is already here, today. There I said it. I admit it. And you better too. Prepare now. Could be like the 1930s depression austerity."

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How to fix the economy

• Liquidate insolvent financial institutions.
• Cancel debts induced by force or fraud.
• Stop corporate welfare.
• Lower Medicare age to 0.
• Make public transit fare-free.
• Stop wasting money trying to intimidate #occupywallstreet.

Oil is why we cannot grow our way out of debt

Whatever happened to $200 oil? - The Globe and Mail: "By the time oil reached $147 a barrel, the economic drag was more than sufficient to trigger a chain reaction of events—including spurring higher interest rates which pricked the U.S. sub-prime mortgage bubble—that ushered in the deepest global recession of the post-war era. "

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Big powers slaughter civilians in proxy war for control of Mideast oil

Bodies of children awaiting burial in Syria. Is driving to the McDonalds for a burger worth this to you?

90 killed, including 25 children, in Syria: NGO - Hindustan Times: "Syrian regime forces have "massacred" more than 90 people, including 25 children, in the town of Houla, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Saturday. Deadly shelling on Friday continued late into the night, the Observatory's Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP. "Many people are fleeing Taldau village in Houla," the Observatory said, adding that residents feared new attacks on the town, in the central province of Homs."

More subways are not needed

Before more subways are built, we should make all buses and trams fare-free and eliminate cars from cities. Adding subways to the existing auto-system merely sends people underground to make way for more autos.

When buses are free, and cars no longer exist in cities, it will then be obvious where to put rail, including light rail. Superimposing rail on the auto-system is divisive and does not address the main problem: cars.

The autosprawl system is unsustainable. When assessing a plan, ask yourself this question: are we trying to extend the life of an unsustainable system? Or does our plan lead to the elimination of the private auto.

Keep this in mind: the methane clock is ticking.

Cars are just too dangerous. Walking and bicycling to school not allowed in many U.S. school districts.

Students Punished for Riding Bikes to School in Michigan - Commute - The Atlantic Cities: "In the case of Saratoga Springs, even kids who live across the street from the middle school are supposed to arrive by car. It’s considered unsafe to do otherwise."

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Quebec passes law to stop anti-austerity rebellion

Occupy Wall Street | NYC Protest for World Revolution: "Last week, the government of Quebec passed an emergency law (Loi 78) criminalizing the massive demonstrations and assemblies in an effort to stamp out the strike. The new law restricts demonstrations and orders the closing of some universities. Among other things, organizers must inform police of the route of any demonstration that includes 50 or more people 8 hours before the demonstration. Unions and student federations are threatened with fines of up to $125,000 if someone is prevented from entering an educational institution."

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Vast methane 'plumes' seen in Arctic ocean as sea ice retreats - Science - News - The Independent

Vast methane 'plumes' seen in Arctic ocean as sea ice retreats - Science - News - The Independent: "Dramatic and unprecedented plumes of methane - a greenhouse gas 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide - have been seen bubbling to the surface of the Arctic Ocean by scientists undertaking an extensive survey of the region."

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Road Traffic 'Single Biggest Source of Fatality' for Young People Worldwide - Commute - The Atlantic Cities

Road Traffic 'Single Biggest Source of Fatality' for Young People Worldwide - Commute - The Atlantic Cities: "And yet it’s road traffic – itself a marker of progress and prosperity in emerging economies – that in 2004 killed more children around the world between the ages of 5 and 14 than malaria, HIV/AIDS, or diarrhea (that’s the most recent year for which we have full data). According to “Safe and Sustainable Roads: An Agenda for Rio+20,” a new report from the Campaign for Global Road Safety, road traffic is the leading cause of death globally for young people between the ages of 10 and 24."

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Energy wars heating up, Russia uses the "N" word.

Russian PM Says Action on Syria, Iran May Lead To  Nuclear War   : Information Clearing House: ""At some point such actions which undermine state sovereignty may lead to a full-scale regional war, even, although I do not want to frighten anyone, with the use of nuclear weapons," Medvedev said. "Everyone should bear this in mind." "

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Humans are destroying the biosphere

Humans Stripping Earth of Its Resources : Discovery News: "The world's biodiversity is down 30 percent since the 1970s, according to a new report, with tropical species taking the biggest hit. And if humanity continues as it has been, the picture could get bleaker.

Humanity is outstripping the Earth's resources by 50 percent — essentially using the resources of one and a half Earths every year"

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When something is running out, use it faster?

ND Becomes Nation's Second-Leading Oil Producer - ABC News: "Hicks said. "We need to get domestic production up so we can wean ourselves from foreign oil.""

Please take a minute and think about that. If it makes sense to you, you need to do some reading.

New technology and high prices are fueling an oil boom in North Dakota. The increased supply will ease price pressure and reduce the urgency to conserve. The additional oil will quickly go up in smoke in traffic jams. This is literally throwing gasoline on a fire.

Drilling more domestic oil to reduce imports is like pretending to be rich by spending all your savings.

Instead we should have gasoline taxes should reflect the actual costs of the auto. We should take that money and make public transit fare-free. Use the remaining oil to get off oil.

Percent of GDP invested in infrastructure: China 9, USA 1.

Opinion: Too little is spent on transportation - Rep. Peter DeFazio - POLITICO.com: "Our transit systems have a $70 billion backlog of critical infrastructure investment needed for light rail, subways and buses. This means work for high-tech engineering companies and investment in American manufacturing industries that have been decimated by outsourcing."

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West Antarctic Ice Shelves Tearing Apart at the Seams

Rifts along the northern shear margin of Pine Island Glacier (upper right of image). Credit: Michael Studinger, NASA’s Operation IceBridge.

West Antarctic Ice Shelves Tearing Apart at the Seams: "A new study examining nearly 40 years of satellite imagery has revealed that the floating ice shelves of a critical portion of West Antarctica are steadily losing their grip on adjacent bay walls, potentially amplifying an already accelerating loss of ice to the sea."

If you want to hang with the cool people, get on #publictransit

Beirut plans to buy 250 buses

Minister, lawmakers take the bus - chicagotribune.com: "Rather than traveling in their luxury sedans with tinted-windows, several lawmakers chose Wednesday to tour the capital aboard a public bus, in a rare move to express support for public transportation in the country.

Transport Minister Ghazi Aridi, who joined the MPs on their tour, took the opportunity to announce that his ministry would soon launch tenders to buy 250 buses as part of a comprehensive plan aimed at organizing the country's public transport sector.

The initiative comes amid high gasoline prices and worsening traffic congestion, particularly in the capital."

Oil trolls in congress sacrificing the economy to boost oil profits

11,000 transit, ground passenger transportation jobs lost in April - Amalgamated Transit Union: “The crisis gets worse by the day. From Pittsburgh, PA, to Everett, WA, to Detroit, MI, to Charleston, SC, more and more transit-dependent Americans are being stranded at bus stops and rail stations as cities implement some of the most severe service cuts and fare increases in history.”
...These job losses come at a time when Americans took over 10.4 billion transit trips last year – the highest in decades. At the same time recession-reduced local tax revenues have forced more than 80 percent of transit agencies to cut service, increase fares and lay off workers. The effects of this crisis are being felt all over the country:

Imagine there's no cars...

Oviedo: One Perfect Place from J.H. Crawford on Vimeo.

Massive May Day March shows that Americans are not sheep for corporate media.

https://twitter.com/#!/Timcast/status/197454096633036800/photo/1