mikee’s Recent Comments

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  how about a less aggressive approach?

  the fact that many people (myself included) dislike weapons doesn't mean that they are unnecessary or are going away. so, i suggest a less aggressive, more open-minded response to items like this.

  i don't know what a "green munition" is but i do know that munitions used to date have often been horribly environmentally unfriendly post-use (as well, of course, as during use). headlines about things like du in anti-tank shells, and the resulting health problems in locals and soldiers, just scratch the surface. so, if some military people (who, by and large, are probably just doing their job, the thing that lets them survive) believe they can reduce these problems and are willing to do that, lets encourage them. baby steps and encouragement are better than no step stand-offs and shouting matches. please.On DoD conference on making bombing ranges 'sustainable' posted 4 years, 5 months ago 4 Responses

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  Nice try from Riche but, unfortunately, naive

  Riche's assertion that "Instead of a debate about whether to undertake environment-friendly initiative we are -- ostensibly at least -- arguing over which party will, in fact, bring us clean skies and healthy forests." is naive, unless "ostensibly" is used to hold and refer to all sorts of "sins".

  Any sane political grouping, be it a party, element within a party, cross-party grouping, activist group, or any other, will always address any issue that becomes important to a significant proportion of people they are trying to communicate to. So, the fact that both major US political parties talk about environmental politics is a no-brainer.

  Simply using terms like "environment" in itself, gets them into the debate but does not sign them up to anything. At the most basic level, political parties are quite capable of putting their resources to bear to re-define words/terms by surrounding them with their own choice of references. And any member of the "public" who does not actively seek knowledge will be only as wise as these politicians allow.

  So, that all politicians now talk about the "environment" does not necessarily mean that they are talking about the same thing as "envronmentalists" talk about.

  As for "arguing over which party will ... bring us" .... I wish. Since when has any recent major government been accountable like this? The parties argue over which party will ... promise or suggest they will bring us" before either doing nothing or completely changing position once in power.

  So, nice try, but too naive.On From now on, those that would do nothing about global warming will have to lie about it. posted 4 years, 5 months ago 7 Responses

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  Rising GDP per capita

  For jdeely:

  As far as I am aware the world's ageing nations are experiencing an age "bulge", rather than a permanent skew to a retirement heavy make-up. So, even if the % of retirees is larger in the future than it was for the 2nd half of the 20th century, the burden on the working population need not be too great. Assuming those nations can get through the painful transition, and assuming national borders remain as they are.

  As for the wealth of individuals, look at the precedent of the Black Death. After England was hit by the Black Death those who survived had hugely improved prosperity simply down to supply & demand issues. On The last doubling of the world's population has already happened. posted 4 years, 5 months ago 4 Responses

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  Coal-fired power plants and radioactive pollution

  Interesting article. Reminds me of something a Professor told me back when I was a physics student, namely that coal-fired power stations (at least in the UK at that time) emitted more radioactive pollution than did nuclear power stations. Of course, a nuclear station can emit more, but a properly managed nuclear station will emit less. Thats one that really stuck in my head.On Politicians protect the industry from 'burdens' at the expense of the public. posted 4 years, 5 months ago 6 Responses

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  Probably not the first

  I read a book last year that deals with just these sorts of issues, from the perspective of continuing poverty in "developing" countries. The book, "The Mystery of Capital" by Hernando de Soto, is overly tedious and not terribly well written, but de Soto's basic conclusions and the evidence he provides to support them, are fascinating and hugely important. Essentially, he argues that legal structures that allow capital to be put to economic use are what separate the rich world from the not-rich world.

  So, I suspect that Neuwirth really isn't the first "journalist" to live in "squatter" cities. And I really do recommend reading de Soto's conclusions. His organisations's website is http://www.ild.org.pe/On Robert Neuwirth gets down and dirty posted 4 years, 5 months ago 4 Responses