Judge Baltasar Garzón is being investigated by Spain’s supreme court, charged with ‘perverting the course of justice’.
Thirty-five years after the death of General Francisco Franco, Spain is finally prosecuting someone in connection with the crimes of his dictatorship, and of the Spanish civil war which came before it. Unfortunately, the defendant in the case is Baltasar Garzón, the judge who sought to investigate those crimes.
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Socialist Prime Minister Jose Felipe Zapaterro called a Federal election for November 20th , 2011 – his term of office was not due to expire until March 2012, he made the decision a full 12 months before then.
Why did he select the anniversary of the death of the fascist dictator Francisco Franco for the election he already knew he would lose?
Even before the full economic picture of Spain’s dire financial situation is revealed by Popular Party (PP) leader Manuel Rajoy, we are witnessing the “Inquisition” style persecution of Baltasar Garzon by the fascist element that lay dormant as the economic good times rolled. Everyone has been feeding at the trough, even the Royal Family is being investigated as the King’s son-in-law faces charges of mis-appropriation of funds from corrupt regional governments.
The ancient Great Bear Rainforest is one of the largest tracts of temperate rainforest left in the world (2 million hectares), and is home to thousands of species of plants, birds and animals. In this lush rainforest stand 1,000-year-old cedar trees and 90-metre tall Sitka spruce trees. Rich salmon streams weave through valley bottoms that provide food for magnificent creatures such as orcas (killer whales), eagles, wolves, black bears, grizzlies, and the rare and mysterious white Kermode (Spirit) bear.
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..Location: The Great Bear Rainforest is located on the west coast of the British Columbia mainland, stretching from just north of Knight Inlet (off north central Vancouver Island) to Princess Royal Island and all the way north to the Alaskan border.
Radio Ecoshock’s Alex Smith went to Vancouver to record a public Tar Sands meeting called “Oil Free Coast, Tankers and Pipelines”, a really engaging discussion with information from Coastal First Nations and lone political voice Nathan Cullen. One point it mentions is the danger from increased shipping with heavy oil tankers. It should be noted that shipping emissions produce a large portion of Sulphur Dioxide particles which are extremely poisonous. Shipping contributes almost 5% to global emissions with sulphur dioxide being contributing to the 60,000 deaths attributed to shipping emissions along coastal routes. (More on shipping on this blog soon)
A young 10 year old girl, Ta ‘Kaiya has written and recorded a song to mark the protest against the pipeline.
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This is a good visual summary of the destructiveness of Canadian Tar Sands
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And Naomi Klein shares a thought bubble
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The Canadian Government are open CLIMATE CRIMINALS basing ALL assessment of the Tar Sands on purely economic criteria, they abandoned the Kyoto Protoco; because of it, and are now prepared to abandon the hopes of environmentalists all over the globe to export their sad prize to China.
“After that, the modelling is forecasting what can be termed ‘the 2017 drop-off’. The outlook under a base case scenario is for a long decline in oil production to begin in 2017, which will stretch to the end of the century and beyond.
Thus beyond 2017 we must begin to cope with the longer-term task of replacing oil as a source of energy.”
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Those readers of the “Oil Drum” or “Energy Bulletin may be up with this report from 2009 commissioned by the Federal Australian Govt, and how it has remained locked away from public discussion since then, displaying the complete absence of any seriousness in preparation for the future.
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Whilst officials have been aware of the spin over the future of energy supplies, only 1 municipal Council in Melbourne (Maribyrnong) has taken ANY measures to assess what impact PEAK OIL will have. It has been mentioned in Jago Dobson’s groundbreaking research from Griffith University looking at the double impacts to Australia’s car driving society. Rising oil prices and economic hardship are projected to have devastating effects on Australia’s “middle class”. Mortgage payments on expensive housing now leave very little discretionary cash.
The Report clearly agrees with the I.E.A. projection that the “PEAK” of “easy extraction”, conventional oil, that society has based it’s growth upon, happened in 2006. From that point, current oil supplies have been bouyed by Tar Sands oil and deepwater drilling. These VERY DANGEROUS and expensive extraction methods are temporary NEW sources that are expected to maintain EXISTING demand ONLY UNTIL 2016.
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From then on global supply deteriorates until the end of the century AND NEVER REGAINS THE SUPPLY LEVEL WE HAVE NOW. 2015 – BIG YEAR …………….. PEAK EMISSIONS AND PEAK OIL. Funny how similar the graphs look !!!
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………………… This is a graph from Prof Kevin Anderson of the Tyndal Institute who provided the Audio presentation at “2015 – PEAK EMISSIONS, or the planet gets it” detailing the emissions reduction needed to PEAK in 2015.
Australian Energy Minister Martin Ferguson is currently Chair of the IEA Ministerial Committee ;
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“New technology, such as floating LNG, will unlock huge resources and boost this major industry. We’re on track to be the second largest exporter of LNG in the next few years.” Ferguson states.
His last BIG IDEA was to bring OPRAH WINFREY AND THE WHOLE SHOW out to Australia to record a couple of programmes. At the cost of millions of tax payer $$’s FERGUSON RECKONS “You can’t buy that sort of publicity”.
It’s really great to know such an “international player” is across so many issues like what’s good for Australia. He maintains his position as an ABSOLUTE DUD with his “planet saving” COAL AND GAS EXPORT DEALS AND REFUSAL TO RECOGNISE THE CLIMATE REALITY.
NO SURPRISE that his new “MATE” FATIH BIRROL and the I.E.A. is projecting a 40% increase in the “gas future”, AND BIG MARTI’s gunner do the Ozzies proud. His “great white hope” of a GAS/GEOSEQUESTRATION answer to a LOW CARBON future is a MYTH.
It is his policy decision making that is RUINING THE GREAT BARRIER REEF with gas and coal export terminals in WORLD HERITAGE LISTED AREAS, this ensures global emissions reduction targets CANNOT BE MET.
With people such as FERGUSON in the “power faction” within the Labour Party THERE CAN BE NO EFFECTIVE CONTRIBUTION TO PREVENTING CLIMATE CHANGE. He remains the man who refused to release the report on the Timor Sea Oil Spill and fire and stuck up for vested FOSSIL FUEL interests..
The Dept of Transport (which commissioned the report), under Anthony Albanese, has still not published it on the Dept’s website, and since the report was finished, HE AND THE TRANSPORT DEPT haVE been busy approving freeway projects all over Australia – DID THEY THINK WE WOULDN’T NOTICE WHEN THE PRICE OF PETROL GOT TO $3 per litre ?
Christmas in Catalunya is refreshingly uncommercial. The Catholic Church being as influential it is, ensures the 25th December is a family/religious day. The traditions of Christmas are observed rather than the gift giving. This is symbolised by a parade on the 5th Jamuary depicting the 3 Wise Men, Gaspar, Balthasar and Melchior following a star to carry gifts of Gold Frankincense and Myrrh to the new born child.
This “tradition” is maintained to the letter with a big “fiesta” and holiday on the 12th Day of Christmas, January 6th. The parade on the 5th January is representative of the 3 wise men visiting all children with gifts. Sweets are catapulted from floats to the masses of children in the crowd who get to stay up late at night. Bad children receive charcoal !!!!! It was a spectacular childrens event which is incredibly well supported even in the northern winter, (albeit Meditteranean).
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The Castellers.
I saw this programme on Barca t.v. on the Castellers and thought I’d show it. It is a Catalan tradition which is also practised in Valencia. Up to 150 people can be involved in 1 tower, with a brave young sole climbing to the top. I am reliably informed that nothing begins until the anbulance arrives !!! (Sorry, can’t provide translations, but it’s amazing to watch.)
January 15 was the anniversary of the birth of Martin Luther King Jr. His legacy is being sought by environmentalists and social justice campaigners today. The “spark” that ignited people’s souls when Dr King spoke is just not there, so we slide.
Democracy Now brought the spark to mind in their commemoration of a truly great man by replaying his speech on the American war in Viet Nam, and tellingly, in his shockingly prophetic speech the day before his assasination, “I have been to the mountain top and seen the promised land”. The 3rd speech is the Washington Memorial speech, “I have a dream”
Close your eyes, listen to the words, feel the moment.
The search for new energy supply is taking a MASSIVE toll on previously sacred environmental sites as detailed with TAR SANDS, Here is another prime example which exposes the 2 faced government of Australia. On the one hand introducing a Carbon Tax (with a beggarly 5% emissions reduction target to 2020) and on the other digging up and selling as much coal, gas and uranium as it can. This duplicitous strategy can only fool some people for some of the time. Eventually it is brain dead policies such as these that will finish the planet.
This 4 Corners programme perfectly exposes the sugar coated arsenic pill the Australian Government offers as its contribution to climate change. Consciously ignoring the World Heritage Council (under which the Great Barrier Reef is listed) the Gillard Government was only too happy to sign contracts for the development of the gas refineries as the Great Barrier Reef follows the road to destruction. This time its coal seam gas and new coal export terminals that are the issue, and a 10 fold increase in shipping through the Great Barrier Reef. As the Reef faces widespread bleaching from ocean acidification we have to ask what is going to be left for the future.
AS OBAMA “PONDERS” THE pros and cons in an election year of approving the Keystone XL pipeline to the Gulf of Mexico, the “Plan B” may be just too terrible to think about. Pacific Wild (http://www.pacificwild.org/) , have produced this amazing film of the area under threat.
ALL THIS IS UNDER THREAT AS “BUSINESS AS USUAL” ECONOMIC DRIVERS SQUEEZE EVERY LAST DROP OF ENERGY FROM THE EARTH.
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This extreme work of nature’s art is UNDER THREAT FROM A RAPACIOUS CANADIAN GOVERNMENT DETERMINED TO EXPLOIT EVERY SQUARE INCH OF THE 280,000 Ha TAR SANDS.
LEAVE TAR SANDS IN THE GROUND.
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Despite ‘assurances’ that the shipping lanes are “safe” to navigate “A FLOATING CITY, WITH 4,000 people on board ran aground off the coast of Tuscany. The captain, (since arrested), denied allegations that he was sailing too close to the coast.
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“We were 300 metres from the rocks and that outcrop should not have been there,” he said.
MEANWHILE IN ANOTHER CORNER OF THE GLOBE, STRANDED ON THE NEW ZEALAND COASTLINE, A CONTAINER SHIP SLOWLY DISINTEGRATES SHEDDING IT’S CARGO FAR AND WIDE.
This Radio WORT-FM broadcast included a “stellar” guest list including. RICHARD HEINBERG, DMITRY ORLOV, NICOLE FOSS, and JAMES H KUNSTLER. Dmitry Orlov left early and Naom Chomsky took part. His sections have been removed from the replay below. The complete podcast can be found at ; http://archive.wort-fm.org/ Look for the Jan 2 “A Public Affair” podcast
Some important facts to remember when thinking of the TAR SANDS development.
ALL the rivers run NORTH, TOWARDS THE ARTIC, AWAY FROM THE MAJOR CIVILIZATION CENTRES.
AT PRESENT ONLY 3% OF THE PROJECTED 280,000 Ha IS BEING DESTROYED.
THIS IS THE SECOND LARGEST HYDROCARBON DEPOSIT ON THE PLANET. (After Saudi Arabia).
CURRENT PRODUCTION IS APPROXIMATELY 700,000 bpd, PROJECTED TO RISE TO 3,000,000 bpd BY 2015 – THE SAME YEAR THAT THE DURBAN COP 17 CONFERENCE CALLED FOR A GLOBAL AGREEMENT TO BE REACHED ON REDUCING EMISSIONS 50% GLOBALLY BY 2050.
Vast reserves of low quality oil underlie the boreal forest surrounding Fort McMurray in northern Alberta, Canada in the form of “Athabasca oil sands.” While these reserves have been known since the early 20th century the high cost of extracting usable oil from these “oil sands” limited the development of a viable oil sands mining industry.
In 2003 the rising cost of crude oil led the Oil and Gas Journal to formally recognize Canada’s oil sands as a viable resource (Woynillowicz et al., 2005). The oil held in these reserves raises Canada to second place on the list of oil rich countries, behind only Saudi Arabia in total reserves (Oil and Gas Journal, 2004). The rising price of oil has fueled this oil boom in Northern Alberta. Canada’s National Energy Board predicts $125 billion in investments for creation and expansion of oil sands mining in the Athabasca area between 2006 and 2015 which will take production to around 3 million barrels per day (National Energy Board, 2006).
Local people including the Native American population are concerned that exploitation will come at too great a cost to the environment. The government of Alberta plans to propose a surface mining area of 280,000 hectares, “an area approximately four times the size of the City of Calgary” (Mineable Oil Sands Strategy-Government of Alberta, 2005).
In 2001 oil extracted from oil sands (271 million barrels) exceeded oil extracted by conventional means (264 million barrels) for the first time (Canadian Centre for Energy Information, 2002-2003). In 1967 The Great Canadian Oil Sands Company began construction at its Mildred Lake site. In 1974 they were joined by the Syncrude Corporation which began construction of a mine in the same area. By early 2006 the mining operations had expanded to cover an area roughly 30 km by 20 km. Syncrude operates a second mine, the Aurora, approximately 30 km to the north of Mildred Lake.
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WINONA LADUKE – As Winona displayed during her debate with Stewart Brand (below), her passion and commitment to idiginous activism brings a wisdom which the broader activist community need to embrace. The “long haul” activist explains the impacts Tar Sands is having on the native community .
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BILL McKIBBEN and 350.org ran a brilliant campaign against the KEYSTONE XL pipeline from Alberta to the Gulf of Mexico, to postpone a decision by Obama, but Republican “oil puppets” are forcing a decision before the 2012 election. A few days ago he wrote this in the Guardian ;
“We waged our struggle against building it out in the open, presenting scientific argument, holding demonstrations, and attending hearings. We sent 1,253 people to jail in the largest civil disobedience action in a generation. Meanwhile, more than half a million Americans offered public comments against the pipeline, the most on any energy project in the nation’s history.
And what do you know? We won a small victory in November, when President Obama agreed that, before he could give the project a thumbs-up or -down, it needed another year of careful review.
Given that James Hansen, the government’s premier climate scientist, had said that tapping Canada’s tar sands for that pipeline would, in the end, essentially mean “game over for the climate”, that seemed an eminently reasonable course to follow, even if it was also eminently political.
A few weeks later, however, Congress decided it wanted to take up the question. In the process, the issue went from out in the open to behind closed doors in money-filled rooms. Within days, and after only a couple of hours of hearings that barely mentioned the key scientific questions or the dangers involved, the House of Representatives voted 234-194 to force a quicker review of the pipeline. Later, the House attached its demand to the must-pass payroll tax cut.”
So Tar Sands is back in the forefront of issues, join your support to 350.org HERE.
Susan George has been in the “economic” limelight for many years in Europe, Canada & the U.S. This 2008 lecture given in Ottawa is prescient in many areas, Her tireless calls for an end to tax havens, full tax collection, financial institutions tax are logical, practicle, (given issues such as climate change mitigation/adaptation funding) and moral. The discussion talks across social, economic and environmental crisi that we now face and provides startling figures that show solutions are possible.
The last post gave Goldman Sachs predictions for the coming year, “SNAFU” (with a big rider on the Euro staying afloat). Thanks to I.M.F. boss Christine “let them eat cake” Lagarde, it should see the year out. It’s a fair bet that a great many people around the world will have a shit year because of what Goldman Sachs has activated.
Here the Occupy Movement in U.S. tries to pick up some of the pieces that lay shattered on the ground from Goldman Sachs’ practice of bundling shonky mortgages together and selling them as “financial products.”
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American author Barbara Ehrenreich wrote “Nickel and Dimed” together with “Bright Sided” exploring the difficulties experienced by the “working poor” trying to get by on $7 per hour, the minimum wage in U.S.A., meanwhile the 1% surrounding Lloyd Blankfein’s space fill the air with hubris and nonchalance. This is being repeated in European countries who are now experiencing severe austerity measures ON TOP OF 23% unemployment (SPAIN) to offset the extreme waste and self obsession of the past 10 years.
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LONE VOICES in the fight to free the U.S. from corporate influence are Ralph Nader and RON PAUL. Paul is a Republican Presidential candidate in the current selection process but very rarely gets in the news overseas,
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Al Jazeera gives a specific “root” for the Greek and ultimately European financial crisis and yes GOLDMAN SACHS has its head deep in the trough.
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So the Greek future is clouded with G.S. gas and pressure is building again in the most troubled member of the eurozone. Government spokesman Pantelis Kapsis warned this morning that Greece could be forced out of the eurozone unless it can agree the details of its second rescue package, worth €130bn. Kapsis told Skai TV that:
The bailout agreement needs to be signed otherwise we will be out of the markets, out of the euro…The situation will be much worse.
That €130bn package was agreed in principle last October, at an EU summit in Brussels. Nearly 10 weeks later, the Greek government still hasn’t agreed its side of the deal – yet more austerity cutbacks, and a debt-swap deal with its creditors. Kapsis warned that “The next three to fourth months are the most crucial.”
The immediate priority is to hammer out a deal with Greece’s debt-holders. The original plan was for a 50% haircut, but IMF officials are now indicating that this may not be enough to repair Greece’s finances.
National Bank of Greece president Vassilis Rapanos has also warned that Greeks must either lower their standard of living, or quit the euro and turn the clock back by decades
Rapanos told an audience at the Athens Stock Exchange that the first quarter of 2012 will be decisive for the country, as he conducted the traditional cutting of the New Year cake.
ALL THIS INFORMATION ABOUT THE WAY SOCIETY NOW OPERATES IS OUT THERE AND VISIBLE – WITH A FINANCIAL SECTOR THAT IS ABOVE THE LAW, FREE TO PAY ITSELF WHAT IT CHOOSES ; THAT STEADFASTLY REFUSES TO CONTRIBUTE TO FIXING THE PROBLEMS IT HAS CAUSED AND SEEING THE WORLD IT NOW DOMINATES AND PLUNDERS SUBJECTED TO SLOW ECOLOGICAL DESTRUCTION.
Judge Baltasar Garzón is being investigated by Spain’s supreme court, charged with ‘perverting the course of justice’.
Whilst officials have been aware of the spin over the future of energy supplies, only 
No place like home. 