Pope Francis recruits Naomi Klein in climate change battle – Rosie Scammell

She is one of the world’s most high-profile social activists and a ferocious critic of 21st-century capitalism. He is one of the pope’s most senior aides and a professor of climate change economics. But this week the secular radical will join forces with the Catholic cardinal in the latest move by Pope Francis to shift the debate on global warming. Naomi Klein …

Pope Francis vs. vampire capitalism: The real reason why his climate-change encyclical is revolutionary – ROBERT HENNELLY

Leave it to  Pope Francis, a  Jesuit trained as a chemist, who has only one lung, to breath new life into a tired global environmental debate. It has been droning on for so long now that it has become background noise, easily drowned out in the din of the 24-hour news cycle. While the glaciers melt, and close to 2,500 …

Pesticides on Planes: How Airlines Are Softly Killing Us By Maryam Henein

How many of you have felt sick following a flight, only to chalk it up to a virus or sinus infection you caught from a fellow passenger? What if I told you, you may have been poisoned by pesticides on the plane without knowing it? If you have a fear of flying, the terror just catapulted to a whole new level. While …

War leaves 16 million Yemenis without clean water: Oxfam

Almost two-thirds of the population of war-torn Yemen have no access to clean water, two months into the Saudi-led air campaign against rebel forces, relief agency Oxfam said Tuesday. “Ongoing air strikes, ground fighting and fuel shortages mean that an additional three million Yemenis are now without drinking water, raising the total number of Yemenis without a clean water supply …

The Inquisition Redux – ROBERT HUNZIKER

Throughout history few people gain the recognition to become part of humanity’s everyday lexicon, especially if they commit heresy. Indeed, Galileo, whose name rhymes with grade school learning, suffered ridicule at the hands of the world’s highest authorities in the 17th century. But, nowadays Galileo is a hero. Arguably, Dr. James Hansen is today’s Galileo. The Inquisition still stands tall. …

World’s Water Future Demands Action Today

In 2050 there will be enough water to produce food for a global population of nine billion, but over-consumption and climate change will increase water scarcity in the planet’s neediest regions, finds a new report from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Water Council. The report, “Towards a water and food secure future” was released Tuesday at …

US Justice Dept: Withdrawing $5,000 should be Reported to Police

Something stunning took place earlier this week ini the good ol US of A, and it quietly snuck by, unnoticed by anyone as the “all important” FOMC meeting was looming. That something could have been taken straight out of the playbook of either Cyprus, or Greece, or the USSR “evil empire”, or all three. This is how the WSJ explained …

How Did Jesus Get to be So Hot? The Fascinating History of (Wildly Unrealistic) Depictions of the Savior

Lyrics for the rap song, B.I.B.L.E. (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth), include [3] the following line: “The white image, of Christ, is really Cesare Borgia [4].” The idea that our modern image of Jesus could be based on a ruthless power-hungry illegitimate son of a 15th century Pope (and star of the bloody mini-series Borgia [5]) is startling and farfetched. But it is no more bizarre or fanciful …

Who controls our food?

Sympathy with organic food production is at an all-time high. Perhaps ‘It’s a nice idea, when you can afford it’ sums up the approach of many people. But extending these principles of production to the whole food system? It just doesn’t seem practical. There are an awful lot of people to feed in the world and, if you’re hungry, you …