It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Sunday, July 31, 2022
'Very early': Scientists date when humans first came to Alberta's oilsands region
New research may have answered a long-standing mystery by pinning a rough date on the earliest known humans in Canada's oilsands region.
Bob Weber, The Canadian Press
Reid Graham (left to right) of the Manitoba Historic Resources Management Branch, Todd Kristensen of the Archaeological Survey of Alberta and Robin Woywitka of MacEwan University excavate an archeological dig in the Fort McMurray, Alta., area in a handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Brittany Romano **MANDATORY CREDIT**
EDMONTON — New research may have answered a long-standing mystery by pinning a rough date on the earliest known humans in Canada's oilsands region.
In a recently published paper, professor Robin Woywitka of Edmonton's MacEwan University says a combination of archeology and geology has revealed that people were living around Fort McMurray, Alta., at least 11,000 years ago and perhaps as long ago as 13,000 years ago.
"People were in the Fort McMurray area very early," Woywitka said.
"Fort McMurray has been a nexus for millennia. It's attracted people forever."
Scientists have long known the region has a lengthy human history. An archeological site known the Quarry of the Ancestors has yielded millions of artifacts since it was discovered there in the 1990s.
But putting dates to them has been tough.
Standard methods such as radiocarbon dating are out. The area's acidic soils destroy the organic materials those techniques depend on.
Sometimes, scientists can use sedimentary layers in the earth to date artifacts. But this area has been so stable that there aren't many places where sediment has been deposited.
So Woywitka and his colleagues tried something new.
They took satellite maps that revealed the surface topography with an accuracy to within a few square metres. They used that information to find sites where sedimentation was most likely to have happened and selected five of them — one of them in the Quarry of the Ancestors.
Sediments from those sites were dated using a technique called infrared stimulated luminescence.
That technique exploits the fact sand grains collect tiny radioactive particles in their pores. Those particles deteriorate at a known rate when exposed to light. So, the longer they've been buried, the more particles there will be.
Infrared light causes those particles to release energy. That can then be measured to reveal when the host sand grains were buried, along with the stone tools buried beside them.
In this case, the answer was 12,000 years, give or take a millennium.
"It has more uncertainty than radiocarbon dating, but it's better than nothing," Woywitka said.
The findings put those early people right at the start of when that part of the world became livable. The first inhabitants would have moved there within a few centuries after the catastrophic flood that drained glacial Lake Agassiz, a vast inland sea that once covered almost all of what is now Manitoba and half of present-day Ontario.
The date isn't too long after humans first came to North America, which most archeologists believe happened about 16,000 years ago.
They would have found a landscape very far from the lush boreal forests and teeming wetlands that now cover much of northern Alberta.
"People are dealing with a much different environment than what we see today — open, dry, cold," Woywitka said. "Probably tundra-y or grassland."
They probably hunted bison, Woywitka said. Beyond that, there's little that can be said.
"Whether they came from the north or south, we don't know."
Despite the proliferation of artifacts, scientists can't fit them neatly into the cultural tool kits of other prehistoric people. The presence of materials from other parts of the continent suggest trading networks with other areas, but little is known.
One thing can be said.
Woywitka points out the flood that drained Agassiz exposed both the good toolmaking stone that drew people to the area as well as the oilsands, which have drawn thousands of modern-day inhabitants.
"People came 13,000 ago to get that stuff," he said. "We go to Fort McMurray today for resources."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 31, 2022.
— Follow Bob Weber on Twitter at @row1960
Bob Weber, The Canadian Press
REST IN POWER Bill Russell dies at 88: Sporting world pays tribute to basketball's greatest winner
CGTN Basketball
01-Aug-2022 NBA great Bill Russell reacts at a news conference as he learns the Most Valuable Player award for the NBA basketball championships has been renamed the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award, February 14, 2009. /CFP
Icon. Legend. Trailblazer. There is no formidable winner in basketball than Bill Russell.
The American hero won 11 NBA titles, two NCAA championships and an Olympic gold medal. To put his trophy-laden career into context, Michael Jordan only won six NBA championships, an NCAA title and two Olympic golds.
"Success is a result of consistent practice of winning skills and actions," Russell once famously declared. "There is nothing miraculous about the process. There is no luck involved."
Michael Jordan (R) poses for a portrait with NBA Legend Bill Russell in Chicago, U.S., May 18, 1998. /CFP
A five-time Most Valuable Player, 12-time All-Star and the Presidential Medal of Freedom winner, Russell's achievement go beyond numbers. During his 13-year career, he not only served as the cornerstone of a Boston Celtics dynasty, but also left a lasting mark as an African American athlete.
A leading voice for social justice, Russell single-handedly changed the course of American sports history by becoming its first Black coach in 1966 and the first Black player inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975.
It is little wonder thus that after news of Russell's death broke on Sunday, the sporting world and beyond have come together to pay tribute to one of the most important basketball players of all time.
U.S. President Barack Obama awards the Medal of Freedom to Bill Russell during a ceremony at the White House in Washington, U.S., February 14, 2011. /CFP
Jordan led the way by saying Russell was a "pioneer." "He paved the way and set an example for every Black player who came into the league after him, including me," Jordan said in a statement. "The world has lost a legend."
Boston's former "Big Three" of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen all posted emotional messages on social media. "I can go on all day about what you meant to me," said Pierce. "I'll never forget this day we were like kids sitting around a camp fire listening to your stories."
Lakers great Magic Johnson, another legendary Hall of Famer, added, "Bill Russell was my idol... Despite all of his achievements, he was so humble, a gentle giant, a very intelligent man, and used his voice and platform to fight for Black people."
Bill Russell (L) is congratulated by Celtics coach Arnold Auerbach after scoring his 10,000th point in the NBA game against the Baltimore Bullets in Boston Garden, U.S., December 12, 1964. /CFP
"He was one of the first athletes on the frontline fighting for social justice, equity, equality, and civil rights. Over the course of our friendship, he always reminded me about making things better in the Black community."
The comment was echoed by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who stressed that his eulogy "only begin to tell the story of Bill's immense impact on our league and broader society."
"Bill stood for something much bigger than sports: the values of equality, respect and inclusion that he stamped into the DNA of our league," Silver said.
Celtics great Bill Russell looks at his statue on Boston's City Hall Plaza, U.S., November 1, 2013. /CFP
There's almost no way to measure the huge impact Russell had on basketball and society as a whole, and U.S. President Joe Biden highlighted Russell's ability to force everybody "to confront hard truths."
"The promise of America is that we are all created equal and deserve to be treated equally throughout our lives. We've never fully lived up to that promise, but Bill Russell made sure we never walked away from it," Biden said in a statement.
"And on this day, there are generations of Americans who are reflecting on what he meant to them as someone who played for the essential truth that every person is entitled to be treated with dignity and respect." Bill Russell holds the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award at AT&T Center in San Antonio, U.S., June 15, 2014. /CFP
Former U.S. President Barack Obama, who awarded Russell the Presidential Medal of Freedom, also paid his tribute, saying the world had "lost a giant."
"Perhaps more than anyone else, Bill knew what it took to win and what it took to lead. On the court, he was the greatest champion in basketball history. Off of it, he was a civil rights trailblazer, marching with Dr. King and standing with Muhammad Ali," Obama wrote on Twitter.
"For decades, Bill endured insults and vandalism, but never let it stop him from speaking up for what's right. I learned so much from the way he played, the way he coached, and the way he lived his life." Bill Russell stands court side during a tribute in his honor in the second quarter of an NBA basketball game against the Milwaukee Bucks in Boston, U.S., November 1, 2013. /CFP
Bill Russell Key Numbers
5
Russell was NBA's Most Valuable Player five times, tying Michael Jordan and beaten only by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who won the award six times.
11
Russell holds the record for the most NBA championships won with 11 titles during his 13-year career, including eight straight titles from 1959-1966. He also served as a player-coach of the Celtics for his final two titles in 1968 and 1969.
12
Russell made the All-Star team 12 times. He was named MVP of the All-Star Game in 1963 after notching up 19 points, 24 rebounds and five assists.
22.45
Russell averaged 22.5 rebounds per game for his career, taking up the number two spot on the all-time list. He and Wilt Chamberlain are the only NBA players in history to average more than 15 rebounds per game in the playoffs.
NBA All Star, first Black head coach and civil rights activist Bill Russell dies at 88
31 Jul, 2022
Bill Russell redefined how basketball is played, and then he changed the way sports are viewed in a racially divided country.
The most prolific winner in NBA history, Russell marched with Martin Luther King Jr, stood with Muhammad Ali and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama. The centrepiece of the Boston Celtics dynasty that won 11 championships in 13 years, Russell earned his last two NBA titles as a player-coach — the first Black coach in any major US sport.
Russell died Sunday at the age of 88, with his wife, Jeannine, at his side, his family said in a statement posted on social media. No cause of death was immediately available; Russell, who had been living in the Seattle area, was not well enough to present the NBA Finals MVP trophy in June due to a long illness.
"We hope each of us can find a new way to act or speak up with Bill's uncompromising, dignified and always constructive commitment to principle," the family said. "That would be one last, and lasting, win for our beloved #6."
A Hall of Famer, five-time Most Valuable Player and 12-time All-Star, Russell in 1980 was voted the greatest player in NBA history by basketball writers. He remains the sport's most decorated champion — he also won two college titles and an Olympic gold medal — and an archetype of selflessness who won with defence and rebounding while others racked up gaudy scoring totals.
Often, that meant Wilt Chamberlain, the only worthy rival of Russell's era and his prime competition for rebounds, MVP trophies and barroom arguments about who was better. Chamberlain, who died in 1999 at 63, had twice as many points, four MVP trophies of his own and is the only person in league history to grab more rebounds than Russell — 23,924 to 21,620.
The legendary centre anchored a Boston Celtics dynasty that won 11 titles in 13 years. Photo / AP
But Russell dominated in the only stat he cared about: 11 championships to two.
"Bill Russell was the greatest champion in all of team sports," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. More importantly, he added: "Bill stood for something much bigger than sports: the values of equality, respect and inclusion that he stamped into the DNA of our league."
In a statement released by the White House, President Joe Biden praised Russell for his lifelong work in civil rights as well as in sports, and called him "a towering champion for freedom, equality, and justice."
"Bill Russell is one of the greatest athletes in our history - an all-time champion of champions, and a good man and great American who did everything he could to deliver the promise of America for all Americans," Biden said.
Reaction poured in Sunday, from Obama to Michael Jordan, from Magic Johnson to Boston's Mayor, Michelle Wu.
"Today, we lost a giant," Obama said. "As tall as Bill Russell stood, his legacy rises far higher — both as a player and as a person. Perhaps more than anyone else, Bill knew what it took to win and what it took to lead.".
A Louisiana native, Russell also left a lasting mark as a Black athlete in a city — and country — where race is often a flash point. He was at the March on Washington in 1963, when King gave his "I Have a Dream" speech, and he backed Ali when the boxer was pilloried for refusing induction into the military draft.
In 2011, Obama awarded Russell the Medal of Freedom alongside Congressman John Lewis, billionaire investor Warren Buffett, then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel and baseball great Stan Musial.
Mr Russell addresses an audience during a campaign fundraising event, Boston, 2011. Photo / AP
"To be the greatest champion in your sport, to revolutionise the way the game is played, and to be a societal leader all at once seems unthinkable," the Celtics said on Sunday. "But that is who Bill Russell was."
Russell said that when he was growing up in the segregated South and later California his parents instilled in him the calm confidence that allowed him to brush off racist taunts.
"Years later, people asked me what I had to go through," Russell said in 2008. "Unfortunately, or fortunately, I've never been through anything. From my first moment of being alive was the notion that my mother and father loved me." It was Russell's mother who would tell him to disregard comments from those who might see him playing in the yard.
"Whatever they say, good or bad, they don't know you," he recalled her saying. "They're wrestling with their own demons."
But it was Jackie Robinson who gave Russell a road map for dealing with racism in his sport: "Jackie was a hero to us. He always conducted himself as a man. He showed me the way to be a man in professional sports."
The feeling was mutual, Russell learned, when Robinson's widow, Rachel, called and asked him to be a pallbearer at her husband's funeral in 1972.
"She hung the phone up and I asked myself, 'How do you get to be a hero to Jackie Robinson?'" Russell said. "I was so flattered."
William Felton Russell was born on 12 February 1934, in Monroe, Louisiana. He was a child when his family moved to the West Coast, and he went to high school in Oakland, California, and then the University of San Francisco. He led the Dons to NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956 and won a gold medal in 1956 at the Melbourne Olympics in Australia.
Celtics coach and general manager Red Auerbach so coveted Russell that he worked out a trade with the St Louis Hawks for the second pick in the draft. He promised the Rochester Royals, who owned the No. 1 pick, a lucrative visit by the Ice Capades, which were also run by Celtics owner Walter Brown.
Still, Russell arrived in Boston to complaints that he wasn't that good. "People said it was a wasted draft choice, wasted money," he recalled. "They said, 'He's no good. All he can do is block shots and rebound.' And Red said, 'That's enough.'"
The Celtics also picked up Tommy Heinsohn and KC Jones, Russell's college teammate, in the same draft. Although Russell joined the team late because he was leading the US to the Olympic gold, Boston finished the regular season with the league's best record.
The Celtics won the NBA championship — their first of 17 — in a double-overtime seventh game against Bob Pettit's St. Louis Hawks. Russell won his first MVP award the next season, but the Hawks won the title in a finals rematch. The Celtics won it all again in 1959, starting an unprecedented string of eight consecutive NBA crowns.
A 6-foot-10 centre, Russell never averaged more than 18.9 points during his 13 seasons, each year producing more rebounds than points. For 10 seasons he averaged more than 20 rebounds. He once had 51 rebounds in a game; Chamberlain holds the record with 55.
Auerbach retired after winning the 1966 title, and Russell became the player-coach — the first Black head coach in NBA history, and almost a decade before Frank Robinson took over Cleveland in baseball's American League. Boston's title streak ended with a loss to Chamberlain and the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Division finals.
Russell led the Celtics back to titles in 1968 and '69, each time winning seven-game playoff series against Chamberlain. Russell retired after the '69 finals, returning for a relatively successful — but unfulfilling — four-year stint as coach and GM of the Seattle SuperSonics and a less fruitful half-season as coach of the Sacramento Kings.
Russell's No. 6 jersey was retired by the Celtics in 1972. He earned spots on the NBA's 25th anniversary all-time team in 1970, 35th anniversary team in 1980 and 75th anniversary team. In 1996, he was hailed as one of the NBA's 50 greatest players.
In 2009, the MVP trophy of the NBA Finals was named in his honour. (Russell never won the honour, because it was awarded for the first time in 1969.) He presented his namesake trophy for many years, the last in 2019 to Kawhi Leonard; Russell was not there in 2020 because of the NBA bubble nor in 2021 due to COVID-19 concerns.
In 2013, a statue was unveiled on Boston's City Hall Plaza of Russell surrounded by blocks of granite with quotes on leadership and character. Russell was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975 but did not attend the ceremony, saying he should not have been the first African American elected. (Chuck Cooper, the NBA's first Black player, was his choice.)
In 2019, Russell accepted his Hall of Fame ring in a private gathering.
"I felt others before me should have had that honor," he tweeted. "Good to see progress."
But to Jordan, Russell stood alone.
"Bill Russell was a pioneer — as a player, as a champion, as the NBA's first Black head coach and as an activist," the former Chicago Bulls star and current Charlotte Hornets majority owner said. "He paved the way and set an example for every Black player who came into the league after him, including me. The world has lost a legend."
Russell's family said arrangements for the memorial service will be announced in the coming days.
UK Bitter row over rail strikes as union leader says ‘Grant Shapps is a liar’
31st July By PA News Agency
A bitter row has broken out over the rail dispute after the leader of the drivers’ union branded the Transport Secretary a liar.
Grant Shapps tweeted that passengers using Avanti West Coast services should expect disruption on Sunday because of unofficial strikes.
But Aslef hit back, saying there was no action on Sunday, accusing the minister of lying.
Mr Shapps tweeted: “UNOFFICIAL STRIKES: Passengers using Avanti West services should expect disruption today. Archaic rules from 1919 mean working on rest days is voluntary. Unions now stopping drivers volunteering – causing misery for public & staff who won’t get paid. We MUST modernise rail.”
Mick Whelan, general secretary of Aslef, said: “Grant Shapps is a liar. He is not only wrong, he knows he is wrong.
“His propensity to lie is just one reason why he could not get enough backers to get in the ballot to become Tory party leader. That and the fact that he is not very good at his job.
“The truth is that the company does not employ enough drivers to deliver the services it promises passengers it will run. The company, and the minister, should stop lying and start recruiting.”
Aslef members at Avanti will strike on August 13 as part of the long-running dispute over pay and conditions, but the union said no action is being held before then.
Avanti West Coast said unofficial action by drivers means it is facing “multiple short-notice cancellations” on its network from Monday.
The firm said in a statement that cancellations are likely to continue until the current industrial dispute is settled.
“Customers are urged to check their journey on our website before coming to the station, and should be prepared for services to be disrupted at short notice and be very busy.
“We are sorry for the enormous frustration and inconvenience this will cause our customers and condemn the drivers’ actions.
“We urge them to engage in meaningful talks around modernising working practices and developing a railway fit for the 21st century.”
A union spokesman said the company does not employ enough drivers to deliver its services.
Aslef members at seven train companies went on strike on Saturday, causing huge disruption to services.
More strikes are planned in August by Aslef, the Rail, Maritime and Transport union and the Transport Salaried Staffs Association in worsening rows over pay, jobs and conditions.
An Avanti spokesperson added: ”We have a long-standing agreement with drivers for them to work shifts as overtime.
“The drivers like this as they earn extra money. Normally there are circa 250 trains a week covered by this arrangement, with a pool of extremely reliable drivers that sign up regularly and without issue.
“Literally overnight, the number for this week has dropped to fewer than 10 trains covered by overtime. The drivers have, en masse, withdrawn their volunteering.”
Aslef denies strike plans as Avanti West Coast warns of more cancellations
Avanti West Coast said unofficial action by drivers means it is facing ‘multiple short-notice cancellations’ (Alamy/PA)
A train company is warning about cancellations with little notice to its services next week, despite a union denying it was taking industrial action.
Avanti West Coast said “unofficial strike action” by drivers means it is facing “multiple short-notice cancellations” on its network from Monday.
But the drivers’ union, Aslef strongly denied its members were taking action this week.
Aslef members at Avanti will strike on August 13 as part of the long-running dispute over pay and conditions but the union said nothing else is planned before then.
Avanti said in a statement that cancellations were likely to continue until the current industrial dispute is settled.
“Customers are urged to check their journey on our website before coming to the station, and should be prepared for services to be disrupted at short notice and be very busy.
“We are sorry for the enormous frustration and inconvenience this will cause our customers, and condemn the drivers’ actions.
“We urge them to engage in meaningful talks around modernising working practices and developing a railway fit for the 21st century.”
The company runs services from London to Glasgow and Edinburgh, with routes to Manchester, Liverpool, North Wales and Birmingham.
Mick Whelan, general secretary of Aslef said: “There is no action – official or unofficial – and the company should stop lying to passengers and belittling its staff.”
A union spokesman said the company did not employ enough train drivers to deliver its services.
Aslef members at seven train companies went on strike on Saturday, causing huge disruption to services across the country.
More strikes are planned in August by Aslef, the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union and the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) in the worsening rows over pay, jobs and conditions.
Pakistan: Floods, rain-related death toll in Balochistan reaches 130
Quetta [Pakistan], August 1 (ANI): With torrential rains and flash floods continuing to wreak havoc in different parts of Pakistan, the death toll from flood- and rain-related incidents in Balochistan province has gone up to 130, according to local media reports.
August 1, 2022
Quetta [Pakistan], August 1 (ANI): With torrential rains and flash floods continuing to wreak havoc in different parts of Pakistan, the death toll from flood- and rain-related incidents in Balochistan province has gone up to 130, according to local media reports.
The situation is particularly bad in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, reported Dawn.
Two people lost their lives in Balochistan on Sunday, taking the death toll from flood- and rain-related accidents in the province to 130.
Balochistan’s Lasbela district has faced the worst flooding so far. The situation slightly improved slightly on Sunday, leading to the restoration of traffic on the Quetta-Karachi highway after almost a week, Dawn reported. The highway was badly damaged after the collapse of three bridges.
Many flood victims blocked the RCD Highway in Ahmedwall to protest against the administration. The protesters chanted slogans demanding relief and rehabilitation assistance. They complained that no one from the district administration or public representatives visited their disaster-struck area, according to Dawn.
Meanwhile, another four bodies were found stuck in the gates of Sukkur Barrage of Sindh province, taking the toll over the last one week to 27, Dawn reported citing official sources. Another two girls died in Punjab when the roof of their house collapsed due to heavy rain.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, heavy rains in parts of Lakki Marwat district on Sunday led to floodwaters inundating low-lying areas. Rains lashed Lakki town and rural areas for nearly one hour, damaging properties.
As per reports, several urban and rural localities experienced flooding after an hour-long spell of rain.
Earlier, in wake of the havoc created in Balochistan, provincial authorities imposed Section 144 in the province.
Disastrous spells of monsoon rains had led to the collapse of two dams, Jara and Tabina, in the Toba Kakar range of mountains in Balochistan.
The two dams collapsed in the Toba Achakzai offshoot in the Tasharbat, Zemel Shadizi, Mako Kech, Zemal, Ghabarg, Adozai, Farakhi and its suburban parts.
After the dams’ collapse, the floodwater wiped out cattle, crops and farmlands in the affected areas. It is pertinent to mention here that land connectivity to Toba Achakzai was disconnected from other parts of the country for four days.
Meanwhile, the road link between Balochistan with Sindh was completely cut off after a bridge and a road connecting the two provinces were damaged in Lasbela and Khuzdar, respectively.
Traffic on the Quetta-Karachi highway was still suspended due to collapsing of major bridges and the sweeping away of big portions of the highway, the Dawn reported. In its latest forecast on Saturday, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) predicted more rains and thundershowers in various parts of the country during the next 24 hours. MET advised the travellers and tourists to remain more cautious during the forecast period. (ANI)
War is a climate killer Russia’s war on Ukraine has pushed the climate crisis off the agenda. But we need a ceasefire and global demilitarisation for a 1.5°C world
War brings death and destruction – not least to the environment and climate. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine offers a depressing reminder of that fact, and further increases the military sector’s already enormous global CO2 footprint. In addition, the eastern Ukrainian cities where fighting is taking place are home to fossil fuel infrastructure such as chemical factories, oil refineries, and coal mines, the bombing of which produces a cocktail of toxic substances that has devastating environmental impacts. Efforts to arm the two sides, moreover, are consuming materials and resources that could otherwise go towards tackling the climate crisis.
Based on the global C02budget, humanity has less than eight years to ensure it still hits its 1.5-degree warming target. To do so, we need to urgently implement reforms in all areas, to bring about ‘systemic change’, as the IPCC report from early April puts it. The military sector barely gets a mention in this almost 3,000-page document, however, with the word ‘military’ coming up just six times. You might thus conclude that the sector is of little relevance to the climate emergency.
The reality is rather different. Using military hardware results in huge quantities of emissions. In the war in Ukraine, 36 Russian attacks on fossil fuel infrastructure were recorded in the first five weeks alone, leading to prolonged fires that released soot particulates, methane and C02 into the atmosphere, while oil infrastructure has been ablaze on the Russian side too. The oil fields that were set on fire in 1991 during the second Gulf War contributed two per cent of global emissions for that year.
While greenhouse gas emissions are one of the most significant impacts of war, the quantity emitted depends on the duration of the conflict and on what tanks, trucks, and planes are used. Another is the contamination of ecosystems that sequester CO2. Staff from Ukraine’s environment inspectorate are currently collecting water and soil samples in the areas around shelled industrial facilities. Military emissions
The ramifications for the climate can be catastrophic in scale. According to a study by the organisation Oil ChangeInternational, the Iraq War was responsible for 141 million tonnes of C02equivalent emissions between its outbreak in 2003 and the report’s publication in 2008. By way of comparison: some 21 EU member states emitted less CO2equivalent in 2019, with only six states topping that figure.
Globally, the military sector is estimated to generate around six per cent of all CO2emissions.
Post-war rebuilding also produces significant emissions. Estimates suggest that reconstruction in Syria will lead to 22 million tonnes of CO2 emissions. The rebuilding in Ukraine, too, will consume vast amounts of resources. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that at least 5 billion US dollars of reconstruction funding was needed per month. Every effort should thus be made to achieve an immediate ceasefire – both for the sake of the climate and to avoid further human suffering.
Emissions from armed forces and military equipment cause considerable environmental harm around the globe. And yet, bowing to pressure from the US, military CO2 emissions were excluded from climate treaties such as the Kyoto Protocol of 1997 and the Paris Agreement of 2015. As a result, they do not form part of their binding agreements and are neither surveyed systematically nor published transparently. The consequent lack of data means we can only make vague estimates as to the military sector’s impact on global heating.
According to a study by Neta Crawford, co-director of the Costs of War project at Brown University, the US defence ministry alone is a bigger contributor to the climate crisis than individual countries such as Sweden or Portugal. This makes it the largest institutional source of greenhouse gases in the world. Globally, the military sector is estimated to generate around six per cent of all CO2emissions. Germany’s role
With its new €100bn fund for the military, Germany seems willing to countenance further far-reaching climate impacts. This military investment will tie up financial and intellectual resources, making it highly unlikely that the 1.5-degree target can be achieved. That countries wish to better protect themselves against potential Russian aggression is understandable. But the public debate around this issue needs to balance an uncertain increase in security against a reduction in our ability to fight climate change.
The German military was already responsible for around 4.5 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions in 2019, significantly more than the 2.5 million tonnes contributed by civilian aviation within Germany. This is now set to increase. Just one of the F-35 jets ordered from Lockheed Martin emits around 28 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per tank of fuel. For comparison: the average annual emissions footprint in Germany is 11.2 tonnes per head.
The income from the sale of fossil fuels provides ongoing funding for Russia’s war of aggression. From 24 February to 24 April 2022, the country’s fossil fuel exports via sea routes and pipelines had an estimated value of €58bn. The EU accounts for 70 per cent of that total, or €39bn, while Germany is the largest single importer of Russian fossil fuels at €8.3bn worth. Our fossil fuel dependency is thus a factor in both the climate crisis and the invasion of Ukraine.
And yet representatives of politics and business are using the war as an excuse to delay the necessary socio-ecological transformation. While corporations still stuck in the fossil fuel age – such as BP, Shell, and Saudi-Aramco – are posting record profits, the climate crisis continues apace.
More arms means more damage to the climate, not greater security.
The likes of Rheinmetall and NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg may champion climate-neutral warfare using eco-friendly tanks and hydrogen fuel, but this is surely not the answer. Western armed forces, security experts, and arms manufacturers are well aware of the significane of climate change, as evidenced by the numerous security strategies, policy statements, and sustainability reports published on the subject in recent years. These outline ways to adapt to a changing climate while ensuring the doctrines of growth and hegemony are nonetheless defended against any and all resistance. Ceasefire now
Together with the EU and NATO, Germany is preparing for scenarios such as war, environmental disaster, and influxes of refugees in order to ensure its foreign policy will still be fit for purpose and its security interests protected. A cynical approach given that the worst affected – those who, as some see it, Germany needs protecting from – will be those who have contributed least to global warming. And one that seems even more absurd when you consider that the environmental destruction brought about by military investment and resource-related conflicts will help to further heat the climate.
At the same time, steps are being taken to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Nonetheless, a Greenpeace report published last year demonstrates that the majority of all EU military missions have links to the protection of oil and gas imports. This dangerous relationship between fossil fuels, military missions, and war needs to end.
More arms means more damage to the climate, not greater security. Rising defence budgets among NATO states will simply convince Russia and China to increase military investment in turn. At $2.1 trillion, global arms spending has already reached record levels.
As the war in Ukraine goes on, the biggest challenge of the 21st century – the climate crisis – has slipped down the agenda. We mustn’t forget, though, that efforts to tackle that crisis can only succeed if all countries – including Russia – work together. The immediate demand is for a ceasefire, followed by measures to build trust, such as international disarmament treaties. Moreover, Russia will need outside help if it is to transition to a climate-friendly energy industry. What’s required is a fundamental socio-ecological transformation, with policy-making dictated by the needs of all. That may seem inconceivable at present, but what’s the alternative? Unchecked global warming would be catastrophic for the planet’s entire population.
Angelika Claußen
Dr. med. Angelika Claußen is Co-Chair of the German section of IPPNW (International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War / Physicians in Social Responsibility) and President of IPPNW Europe.
With inflation still near 40-year highs, more than half of all Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. And this issue covers workers across all income levels.
According to an opinion piece by Peter Coy in the New York Times, we don’t have a good agreed-upon definition for what living paycheck to paycheck really means.
Mr. Coy says the definition of living paycheck to paycheck is much too broad. He writes, “It seems to me that “paycheck to paycheck” should be reserved for people whose monthly nut — unavoidable expenses like rent or mortgage, utilities, gasoline, and food — consumes everything they bring home. One significant emergency expense such as a transmission repair or hospital bill can break them.”
However, we can’t refer to people living paycheck to paycheck as the working poor any longer. The working poor are often low-wage earners with limited skills but can include those with advanced degrees and skills.
Highly skilled people can be hit with things like an industry downturn, and limited success in securing regular employment commensurate with their skills. All this contributes to living paycheck to paycheck.
According to a new LendingClub report, 58 percent of American adults, or nearly 150,000 million people live paycheck to paycheck. Believe it or not, but this is down from 61 percent in April of 2022.
And yes, this includes top earners. Of those earning $250,000 or more, 30 percent are living paycheck to paycheck.
The largest banks operating in the US market have sufficient resources to withstand a severe economic downturn, the Federal Reserve says –
“Consumers have experienced a tough last couple of years as different factors have affected their financial lifestyle, and there seems to be little relief in sight,” said Anuj Nayar, LendingClub’s financial health officer, according to CNBC News.
Paychecks don’t stretch as far with inflation
In our post-COVID pandemic world, the consumer price index, a key inflation gauge, rose to 8.6 percent in May. This was the highest increase since December 1981. And consumers are feeling it when they fill the car up, or just buy groceries.
These rising prices also mean that workers have taken another pay cut. Think about this – when wages do not rise as fast as inflation, paychecks don’t stretch as far – making it more difficult to cover monthly expenses and set money aside.
We haven’t addressed credit card debt, which, by the way, has risen year over year, reaching $841 billion in the first three months of 2022, according to a separate report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
At this rate, balances could soon reach record levels amid higher prices for gas, groceries, and housing, among other necessities, according to Ted Rossman, a senior industry analyst at CreditCards.com.
Myanmar prolongs state of emergency for 6 months
The Myanmar junta's National Defence and Security Council gave unanimous approval for the decision, according to state media
Myanmar's junta has cracked down on opposition following the ouster of Aung San Suu Kyi
Myanmar's junta will extend the state of emergency in the country for a further six months, state media reported on Monday.
The junta first declared a state of emergency after seizing power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in a coup in February last year.
Leader of the junta, Min Aung Hlaing requested the military government to "allow him to serve for an additional 6 months," according to a report in the Global New Light of Myanmar.
The report said members of the junta's National Defence and Security Council unanimously supported the decision.
State of emergency since 2021
The state of emergency was declared in February 2021, after a coup ousted Suu Kyi's government. The junta has said elections will be held, and the state of emergency would be lifted by August 2023.
However, doubts have been raised about whether the elections will take place at all.
The army alleges election fraud during the 2020 elections, which were won by Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD). Election monitoring groups have found no evidence of fraud.
Suu Kyi has been detained since the coup, and faces multiple charges.
Since the takeover, there has been a crackdown on dissent and press freedom. On Saturday, a Japanese video journalist was detained by security forces in Myanmar while covering a protest against military rule in Yangon, according to pro-democracy activists.
The Japanese government on Monday later confirmed that one of its citizens had been arrested in Myanmar, with Tokyo calling for his release.
Deeper Hegemony: The Populist Politics of Sinhala Nationalist Discontent and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna in Sri Lanka
This thesis contends that nationalism must be understood in relation to the emergence of a series of power defined as discipline, governmentality, and biopolitics. It is argued that these macrophysical and microphysical tendrils of modern power targeted as they are on bodies, populations and the „life process‟ itself in an ever more pervasive manner are reproductive of discursive representations of the „social‟ and populations which can and do operate towards hierarchies of inclusion, exclusion and marginalization in terms of privileging access to citizenship, political participation and socio-economic resources. Focusing on the colonial and postcolonial sphere and specifically the development of Sinhala nationalism in Sri Lanka, this thesis argues that the colonial encounter produced a racialised and ethnicised social mapping of Sri Lanka, which interlocking with an ontological order that already demonstrated a nexus between political power and Sinhala Buddhist identity, has resulted in the fusing of disciplinary, governmental and biopolitical modes of power with the reproduction of a potent hierarchical Sinhala majoritarianism which has subordinated Sri Lanka‟s Muslim and Tamil communities. Furthermore, the thesis contends that whilst colonial power initiated these transmutations in community and identity, Sinhala nationalist movements have also furthered the logic of disciplinary, governmental and biopolitical power resulting in the hegemonisation of nationalist discourses in the postcolonial period. The thesis focuses on the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna as a case study in Sinhala nationalist mobilisation, arguing that the degree to which this radical subaltern movement is informed by and reproduces Sinhala nationalist discourses and practices demonstrates the extent to which nationalist discursive representations of the territory, political community and identity of Sri Lanka as fundamentally Sinhala Buddhist have become hegemonic and socially diffuse.
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