Amy Lieberman and Susanne Rust – Big Oil braced for global warming while it fought regulations

A few weeks before seminal climate change talks in Kyoto back in 1997, Mobil Oil took out a bluntly worded advertisement in the New York Times and Washington Post. “Let’s face it: The science of climate change is too uncertain to mandate a plan of action that could plunge economies into turmoil,” the ad said. “Scientists cannot predict with certainty …

Peter Schwartz – The fracturing of the European Union

It is 70 years since large parts of Europe lay in ruins. Great power aspirations, nationalism and fascism made the continent the focus of two world wars, which together claimed nearly 100 million victims. Now, these same tendencies are spreading once again. Everywhere in Europe, the ruling elites are moving sharply to the right. They are boosting military spending, taking …

Wild bee decline threatens US crop production

A new study of wild bees identifies 139 counties in key agricultural regions of California, the Pacific Northwest, the upper Midwest and Great Plains, west Texas, and the southern Mississippi River valley that have the most worrisome mismatch between falling wild bee supply and rising crop pollination demand. The study and map were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy …

Amanda Froelich – How To Use Plastic Water Bottles And Bleach To Create LIGHT!

The invention of electricity transformed the lives of many. No longer were work days limited to the sun’s rays, and with longer hours to work with creative inspiration, inspired dreams could become reality.But in many areas of the world, conveniences common to the Western world are still foreign. For example, 1 billion people currently experience energy poverty and have no means of …

Nick Turse – America’s Secret African Drone War Against the Islamic State

On October 7th, at an “undisclosed location” somewhere in “Southwest Asia,” men wearing different types of camouflage and dun-colored boots gathered before a black backdrop adorned with Arabic script.  They were attending a ceremony that mixed solemnity with celebration, the commemoration of a year of combat that left scores of their enemies slain.  One of their leaders spoke of comraderie …

World’s Small Farmers Fighting Back as WTO Pushes Corporate Agenda

The World Trade Organization (WTO) kicked off its 10th ministerial conference in Kenya on Tuesday to develop a new free trade agreement, as grassroots activists rallied worldwide against measures they say would undermine the rights of small-scale farmers in developing countries. It is the first time the WTO has met in Africa, where free trade and globalization have left a legacy of …

Dr. Brownstein – New Flu Vaccine Approved Targeting Elderly Contains Squalene

The FDA has approved a new flu vaccine—Fluad.  Should we say, “hooray,” or “oy veh”.  I will let you decide. Fluad is the first seasonal influenza vaccine containing an adjuvant called squalene.  Adjuvants in vaccines, such as aluminum, are used to cause a greater immune system response as compared to vaccines used without an adjuvant.  This increased immune system response …

POLLY JONES – The Empire Strikes Back: the Return of the WTO

The last time the World Trade Organisation met was in December 2013. Back then neither the negotiations on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) nor the campaign to stop TTIP had even started. Trade seemed to be off the agenda and after years of stalled negotiations the WTO was expected to slowly become irrelevant. The WTO is meeting again this week …

Study finds mortality rate of middle-aged white Americans increasing rapidly

Something strange is happening to middle-aged white Americans. Among all ethnicities or races, as well as counterparts of other wealthy countries, the mortality rate for this group has been rising rapidly. In contrast, mortality rates of middle-aged black and Hispanic Americans continue to decline, as well as death rates for the old and young of all ethnic and races. The increased mortality rate …

Juan Cole – Top 10 Signs the US is the Most Corrupt Country in the World

Those ratings that castigate Afghanistan and some other poor countries as hopelessly “corrupt” always imply that the United States is not corrupt. VOA reports : While it is true that you don’t typically have to bribe your postman to deliver the mail in the US, in many key ways America’s political and financial practices make it in absolute terms far …