breadandcircuses

@breadandcircuses@climatejustice.social

🌏 Born at 312 PPM

Retired NGO executive doing my best to stay informed and raise awareness about environmental crises, climate breakdown, and the rapacious, murderous impact of greedy capitalists and the politicians they own.

Why the name? Back in the day, empires placated their citizens with "bread and circuses." Now we get fast food and apps. But it's all basically the same — distraction from what's REALLY happening.

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breadandcircuses, to environment

Degrowth is the answer, the ONLY answer for preventing catastrophic climate breakdown and the collapse of society. And degrowth is possible if we can find the political will.

According to a new study, the level of gross domestic product (GDP) has no impact on the ability of states to fund investments in radical decarbonization measures and ambitious social policies such as universal public services and a job guarantee.

"Halting global climate collapse requires massive increases in public spending. Only through public investment can we achieve a timely transition away from fossil fuels," says Christopher Olk, a doctoral researcher at the Otto Suhr Institute of Political Science in Berlin and lead author of the study.

It is widely believed that governments can only increase spending if they first grow GDP to increase tax revenue. This presents a problem, because GDP growth works against ecological objectives. Indeed, a majority of climate scientists now call for "degrowth" — a democratically planned, equitable reduction of less necessary forms of production — in high-income countries in order to enable faster decarbonization. Key degrowth measures include the expansion of universal public services and a job guarantee in sustainable sectors.

Degrowth presents governments with the question of how to finance the necessary ecological and social measures during this process of transformation — a question that Olk and his fellow research team members want to answer. They argue that public investment can be increased without GDP growth and that the process of degrowth simultaneously dismantles destructive, less necessary industries and prevents inflation.

According to the authors of the study, degrowth requires above all a politically well-organized social base. Concerns about financial feasibility, inflation, and living standards often lead to widespread skepticism about the possibility of a radical social and ecological transformation.

In this study, the authors address these concerns, demonstrating how such a transition is macroeconomically feasible, and propose a practical economic policy program that allows for ecological and social goals to be achieved at the same time.

FULL ARTICLE -- https://phys.org/news/2023-09-fund-radical-ecological-social-policies.html

#Capitalism #Inequality #Environment #Climate #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #ClimateJustice #Degrowth

breadandcircuses, (edited ) to environment

A few excerpts from a stirring opinion piece by Nikayla Jefferson, a political science graduate student at UC Santa Barbara...

There is no clear relationship between income equality and GDP growth. When a country is faced with the inevitable choice of growing its GDP or social and environmental well-being, the rules of our economy demand that GDP gets priority. We’re ensnared by our own silly rules, entangled in our precarious imaginations, so why not adopt another measure?

Nearly every country in the world desperately needs to phase out fossil fuels and build out their clean energy, climate adaptation and mitigation systems, structures, and technology. Deep decarbonization requires resources, and these resources must be shared equitably between countries.

The effort goes beyond just switching a system from fossil fuels to clean energy: 2 billion people around the world are in urgent need of clean water, and 3.6 billion are without access to essential services like sanitation. The Global South needs to grow in the realm of public goods, essential services, and other sectors that are crucial to a good, quality livelihood. If resources are finite and we aim to stay within bounds, resource use must be discerned between essential, meaningful, and superfluous.

Say our collective imagination was a little loosened, we liberated ourselves from the story of economic growth, and people democratically decided to take collective action. The economy without a mandate for growth might actually be a freer one.

Growth requires us to go fast and then faster. I imagine slower days, shorter work weeks. Less input into the growth monster means less output. There is less to demand of us, less to do. Sure, we may not receive boxes of colorful and neat-o new things two hours after we click buy, but what might we receive instead? More time with family and friends, more energy to devote to what and who we love most, more freedom to exist as a human being.

The mandate of every generation is to give old logic, imaginations, and orders a formidable challenge — to push society onward through the hard and necessary work for the sake of becoming better people. Every generation ages into its right to retell the story about us as we are and act on the dream of who we could be.

FULL ESSAY -- https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2023/09/opinion-lets-free-ourselves-from-the-story-of-economic-growth/

#Capitalism #Inequality #Environment #Climate #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #ClimateJustice #Degrowth

breadandcircuses, (edited ) to random

An economist named Blair Fix (@blair_fix) has written a piece illustrating the scope of our society's vastly growing inequality. Of course, you probably already knew about that, but he shows how bad it really is — and how it continues getting worse.

The rich get richer.

It’s a phrase that packs a lot of punch. It’s potent rhetoric, yet surprisingly accurate at describing how rising inequality plays out.

Of course, there’s nothing inevitable about the rich getting richer. We just happen to live in an age of growing corporate despotism.

The Forbes 400 got a lot richer over the last forty years. But so what? It could be that over the same period, all Americans got richer. In that case, it’s not particularly meaningful to say that the rich got richer. Everyone got richer.

Except they didn’t.

It turns out that unlike the Forbes 400, the average American saw little change in their net worth over the last four decades. Do you see what happened to the black line [below] which plots the net worth of the median American? That’s right … not much. For forty years, Americans’ median net worth hardly budged.

What’s fascinating about rich lists like the Forbes 400 is that their authors seem oblivious to what they’re measuring. While ostensibly celebrating ‘wealth’, these lists are actually a barometer for social inequality.

As it turns out, inequality is written everywhere in the Forbes data. When the rich get richer, it’s not just the Forbes 400 who pull away from everyone else. Within the Forbes 400, the stupendously rich pull away from the ultra rich, who pull away from the mega rich, who pull away from the considerably rich, and so on. At a certain point, we run out of adjectives to describe the hand of inequality.

FULL ARTICLE -- https://economicsfromthetopdown.com/2023/09/24/how-the-rich-get-richer/

#Capitalism #Inequality

breadandcircuses,

@seb321 I'm not sure a linear chart would fit on the page or be legible. It would have to be a hundred times taller!

breadandcircuses, to science

Scientists are now reporting on the "greening" of Antarctica. And that's NOT a good thing...

As Antarctica is mostly covered in ice and snow, there previously hasn't been much space left for plants to grow. There are no trees or shrubs, and the plants that do exist are limited to a few islands and along the western Antarctic Peninsula.

However, as global temperatures continue to rise and ice in Antarctica continues to melt, researchers have found that plants on the continent are growing more quickly.

Comparing the results with surveys from the previous 50 years, they found that the sites had not only become more densely populated by the plants, but that they had also grown faster each year as the climate got warmer.

The results were staggering, with the Antarctic hair grass growing as much in 2009-2019 as it had in the entire 50 years from 1960 from 2009.

The Antarctic pearlwort moved even faster, growing five times more in the same periods.

Peter Convey, at the British Antarctic Survey, touched on the impact of accelerated growth as he told New Scientist: “The most novel feature of this is not the idea that something is growing faster. It’s that we think we’re starting to see what is almost like a step change or a tipping point.”

You and I no longer live in the natural world into which we were born. It's already very different, and the pace of change is accelerating.

FULL ARTICLE -- https://www.unilad.com/news/world-news/antarctica-flowers-spread-climate-change-828134-20230922

#Science #Environment #Climate #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #Antarctica

breadandcircuses, to environment

Émile P. Torres (@xriskology) is a philosopher and historian whose work focuses on existential threats to civilization and humanity. In their latest piece published at Salon, we hear an ominous warning:

"Think this summer was bad? It might be the best one you and I will ever see"...

The climate catastrophe is already here. We've been watching it unfold in real time on the news and over social media. Some have witnessed it first-hand, losing their homes, being forced to evacuate under emergency conditions, and even losing their lives or the lives of friends and family.

For those sensitive to human suffering and the grave injustices driving the climate crisis, this summer has been difficult to deal with. It's been one extreme weather event, one shattered record, one shocking tragedy after another — and though the summer is now officially over, there's more to come.

Much more to come.

The disturbing fact that puts everything in perspective is that this summer will likely be among the mildest summers that you and I will experience for the rest of our lives. The extreme meteorological events of 2023 will be among the least disruptive that humanity encounters from here on out.

Imagine what our children will face. Scientists warn of potential "tipping points" in Earth systems, causing dramatic and irreversible shifts in the conditions of our planet. One paper warns of a sudden, catastrophic collapse of the global ecosystem, while a consensus is emerging that human actions have initiated the sixth major mass extinction event in the 3.8 billion-year history of life on Earth. Another paper published just this year estimates that one billion — with a "b" — people will likely die because of climate change within the next century.

Some people I speak with tell me that "humanity" deserves what's coming because of its profoundly irresponsible, destructive actions. We've razed forests, poisoned the oceans, and polluted the atmosphere with heat-trapping greenhouse gasses. We've decimated ecosystems, annihilated habitats, and pushed many species to the brink of extinction — or beyond. We've trashed this little oasis in space as if there's some Planet B waiting for us when Earth is no longer habitable.

But who is this "we"? Children don't deserve to suffer for the foolish behavior of their forebears. Justice isn't served if one generation gets punished for the actions of another.

Furthermore, studies show that the socioeconomic elite are disproportionately responsible for the climate crisis. In the U.S., the richest 10% produce 40% of the country's global warming pollution. Another study concluded that "a billionaire emits a million times more greenhouse gasses than the average person."

There is no sense, then, in which "humanity" deserves to suffer — indeed, the study mentioned above notes that many of the one billion deaths expected to occur because of climate change this century will happen in the Global South, which has contributed to the climate catastrophe far less than the major industrial nations of the Northern Hemisphere.

The injustice of this situation is spectacular. It's a crime against humanity — a crime against the future of humanity.

FULL ESSAY -- https://www.salon.com/2023/09/23/think-this-summer-was-bad-it-might-be-the-best-one-you-and-i-will-ever-see/

#Environment #Climate #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #ClimateEmergency #ClimateJustice

breadandcircuses, to science

Some of us who are very old will recall that Johnny Carson used to do a recurring bit on the Tonight Show where he would complain about how hot it had been that day. Then he'd wait for the audience to ask, in unison, "How hot was it?"

And he would give them a joke answer, like, "It was so hot that when I fell down on the pavement today I was badly burned and had to be taken to the hospital."

Well, no, not like that, because that's not funny. And in 2023, it's not even a joke. It's reality.

See -- https://www.azfamily.com/2023/07/24/phoenix-area-doctors-are-treating-spike-patients-burned-by-falling-ground/

Anyway, for more on the extreme heat levels we experienced this summer, let's turn to climate scientist Zeke Hausfather (@hausfath)...

Global surface temperatures have dramatically spiked since the start of June, with the past four months (June-September) breaking prior monthly records by a large margin.

This extreme global heat has made it virtually certain that 2023 will rank as the warmest year on record, and means that there is a chance it will emerge as the first year exceeding 1.5C above preindustrial levels.

In this figure [below], we show how the monthly temperature anomalies in 2023 to-date compare with those from prior years. The years are color coded from blue to red depending on what decade they occurred in, with 2023 highlighted in black.

This figure, perhaps more than any so far, emphasizes just how extreme global temperatures have been since June, with September being the most anomalous month so far out of an already extremely anomalous summer.

FULL ARTICLE -- https://www.theclimatebrink.com/p/visualizing-a-summer-of-extremes

#Science #Environment #Climate #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #ClimateEmergency

breadandcircuses,

@2CB
I have an idea -- maybe the UN should call for a special climate conference to discuss the problem. I don't think they've tried that yet.

pvonhellermannn, to random
@pvonhellermannn@mastodon.green avatar

read yesterday’s “How do we raise trillions of dollars to fight the climate crisis? The answer is staring us in the face” by just now ( ❤️ paper version = catch up) and really would like to spread his message: we need a global on . This needs to be the tangible outcome of we should all campaign for. Put so well here by Gordon Brown.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/sep/25/we-need-trillions-of-dollars-to-fight-the-climate-crisis-this-is-my-plan-to-raise-it?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

breadandcircuses,

@pvonhellermannn Thanks for bringing this up again, Pauline. It's really horrendous, such a profound failure of governance and oversight. 😡

Here is my take on the article -- https://climatejustice.social/@breadandcircuses/111126144981608075

ExtinctionR, to random
@ExtinctionR@social.rebellion.global avatar
breadandcircuses,

@ExtinctionR And the lesson learned, once again, is that the best car to own is not an EV. The very best car is no car at all!

dangillmor, to random
@dangillmor@mastodon.social avatar

My regular reminder that there is almost zero chance that I'll listen to a podcast, unless I'm addicted to the topic. I just don't have the time.

But there's a strong likelihood that I'll read at least the first few paragraphs of a blog post if the topic interests me at all.

It's basic time management. I can read/skim much, much faster than I can listen.

breadandcircuses,

@dangillmor Same!

breadandcircuses, to brazil

Headline from Grist:

"Winter just ended in South America. It’s 110 degrees."

Wait -- that can't be right, can it?

https://grist.org/agriculture/winter-just-ended-south-america-110-degrees/

#Brazil #Environment #Climate #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #ClimateEmergency

breadandcircuses, (edited ) to environment

In case you were wondering…

Yes, Canada is still on fire. Even though summer has gone by and the traditional wildfire season is over, hundreds of forest fires continue burning, most of them out of control.

This is intensely sad to me, not to mention frightening, and it’s a blatantly ominous sign that we are in the midst of a climate emergency.

#Canada #Wildfire #Environment #Climate #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #ClimateEmergency

breadandcircuses,

@HaelusNovak Oops -- thanks!!

breadandcircuses,

@tyarosh I've seen reports where Canadian officials have said that some of the fires, perhaps many, will continue to burn right through the winter. A good number of the current fires are located in hard to access areas, plus of course there just aren't enough firefighters to tackle them all. Probably most of these wildfires will die out naturally, but not all of them, and not before a huge amount of environmental damage has been done.

breadandcircuses, (edited ) to environment

Last year the major oil companies pocketed four trillion dollars in profits. That’s not total sales, that’s profit!

💵 💵 💵 💵 Four TRILLION dollars in a single year. 💵 💵 💵 💵

Now just imagine how much could be done to clean up the environment, to slow climate change, to save vulnerable species from extinction, and to right the wrongs of global economic injustice if only we had four trillion dollars to spend.

THIS is why we urgently need system change. We must take that money away from those climate-wrecking fossil fuel companies and use it for good.

"How do we raise trillions of dollars to fight the climate crisis? The answer is staring us in the face."
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/sep/25/we-need-trillions-of-dollars-to-fight-the-climate-crisis-this-is-my-plan-to-raise-it

breadandcircuses, (edited )

@tarmoamer @MisuseCase
I don't have any problem with a market economy, but I do have a BIG problem with capitalism.

In my preferred version of state socialism, there is no accumulation of capital, and thus no capitalism. All large industries and large-scale services are socialized, owned by the people and managed by the state (or by worker cooperatives, where practical).

In my version of a market economy, people can own and run small companies, hire employees, set prices, make a profit... that's all fine. But they can't buy their competitors and either take them over or put them out of business. They can't open franchises, where they sell (or rent) the right to operate a different company with the same name. They're not allowed to buy their suppliers and create a conglomerate. They aren't permitted to grow so large that the market no longer operates fairly. And every business owner's income will be capped with a highly progressive tax structure (which is the price of using the commons to turn a profit).

So, the marketplace as such is not the problem. The problem is capitalism.

breadandcircuses,

@tarmoamer @MisuseCase
Societies have not established control because, at least in the USA, capitalists and the neoliberal politicians they own would not allow it. They have worked to weaken and to nearly eliminate labor unions, to nullify the bureaucracy, and to pack the courts of every level with justices who are under their thumb.

Capitalism is out of control and now beyond control. It must be abolished.

breadandcircuses,

@ArmyGirl Around a trillion dollars each year. Which means you and I are helping to pay for the destruction of our home.

breadandcircuses, (edited ) to environment

Rich people like Bill Gates, and the politicians they own like John Kerry, have a reassuring message for us all. 😃

Gates — https://climatejustice.social/@breadandcircuses/109772828308275076
Kerry — https://climatejustice.social/@breadandcircuses/110729854915172708

It's not necessary, they tell us, for everyone to change their lifestyles in order to fight climate change or promote climate justice. We don't have to stop eating meat, or buying fast fashion, or driving our huge SUVs to work every day. No one needs to stop flying around the world using their private jets, or taking luxury cruises on their million-dollar yachts.

Why? Because capitalism can solve the climate crisis! 👏

Really? Yes!!

(Well, no, not really. That's a fantasy being sold to us by billionaires who have no interest in real change.)

#Environment #Climate #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #Capitalism #BusinessAsUsual

breadandcircuses,

@tayledras I assume you're being sarcastic about this looming tragedy of mass death, but that's not entirely clear. Your comment could be mistaken as celebratory, which I certainly hope it's not.

breadandcircuses, to science

It couldn't be more clear, in the midst of an ongoing climate and environmental catastrophe, that we need to urgently make huge systemic changes.

But instead we get this…

It’s time for another week of BUSINESS AS USUAL, sponsored this time by General Motors, ExxonMobil, and the US military-industrial complex.

🎶 "Keep driving, keep flying, keep shopping, keep buying!
We've got this, everything's fine." 🎶 😃

#Science #Environment #Climate #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #ClimateEmergency #Capitalism #BusinessAsUsual

breadandcircuses,

I’d like to express my gratitude to these companies for allowing me to use their trademarked logos.

Miriamm, to random
@Miriamm@mastodon.social avatar

“'Bed rotting' is the new trend Gen Z is obsessed with”

It’s called depression and us millennials have been doing it for years 💅🏽

breadandcircuses,

@BruceMirken @Miriamm
Yeah, I'm very conscientious about that. Whether they need it or not, I'll wash my sheets at least once a year.

jackofalltrades, to climate
@jackofalltrades@mas.to avatar

"""
It’s Time to Engineer the Sky

Global warming is so rampant that some scientists say we should begin altering the stratosphere to block incoming sunlight, even if it jeopardizes rain and crops
"""

https://archive.ph/NE8vy

#ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #geoengineering

breadandcircuses,

@largess @jackofalltrades
Right. What capitalist technology broke, capitalist technology can fix, don't you see?

TRZPhotography, (edited ) to art
@TRZPhotography@mastodon.social avatar

It's foggy out with just a tad bit of sunshine, allowing for a unique capture. In the the background is the Historic Bayfront in Newport, Oregon. #BuyIntoArt #Art #ThomZehrfeldPhotography #PhotographyIsArt #Photography #Fotografie
#ArtForSale #ArtMatters #MastoArt #Mastodon #ArtforInteriorDesign #HospitalityInteriors
#InteriorDesign #Wallart #InteriorDecorating #WallArtForSale #Nautical #NewportOregon #PNW
Check out print options at:
https://1-thom-zehrfeld.pixels.com/featured/irish-miss-thom-zehrfeld.html

breadandcircuses,

@TRZPhotography I would love to boost this post, and I will -- IF you add #AltText. It's easy to do, and will make your posts much more engaging for the community. 😇

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