Steve Bull's Blog, page 205
August 1, 2022
Europe hypnotized into war economy
Thirty two years ago Germans enthusiastically took down the Berlin wall. Now, captured by cunning Anglo-Saxon global elites, Germans are helping other European “useful idiots” to erect a much higher and thicker wall to cut themselves off from Russia leading them into a war economy. But as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has warned… “the approach has clearly failed — sanctions have backfired — and our car now has 4 four flat tires” … Question: vehicles don´t carry more than 2 spare tires on them, do they? So, one quick and innocent way to explain such unfathomable European miscalculation is to assume the EU leadership is immersed in a deep hypnotic trance and just blindly following US-UK instructions under Stoltenberg-Johnson war-mongering policies. Per “The Telegraph” Ref #1 https://www.rt.com/news/559682-johnson-uk-nato-ukriaine Ref #2 https://www.rt.com/news/559785-orban-eu-gas-war-economy/
suicidal non-supply
The supply lines that up to 2022 successfully linked Europe and Russia took decades of very hard work to develop. This now means that almost all of such over-abundant contracts necessarily have no effective substitute because (a) no other vendors have such high quality at low price plus decades of vetting and proven experience + (b) the un-replaceable short freight distance and shipping time from nearby Russia. So, by definition, both (a) + (b) mean that today no equivalent supply lines could ever be found no matter how much Europe tried simply because it would be either too soon or too far …and always too hard and too pricey. So short cuts will be taken and corners rounded-off…. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt. The impact of the above cannot be overstated though as the now-broken Euro-Russian supply lines were essential for the Just-In-Time strategy that Europe and world markets still require and cannot wait years to develop and iron out. Logistics 101: proven experience and performance with excellent price plus quick delivery from nearby sources cannot be substituted fast enough, or possibly ever…
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
Fed Chairman Paul Volcker’s Thoughts On Goverance
For many people, former Fed Chairman Paul Volcker’s relevance today is rooted in how he broke the back of surging inflation in 1980. He is widely credited with employing the harsh policies that ended the high levels of inflation seen in the United States during the 1970s and early 1980s. back then few people realized his brave and bold move would shape the economic system for decades.
Paul Volcker served two terms as the 12th Chair of the Federal Reserve from 1979 to 1987. He was nominated to the position by President Jimmy Carter and renominated by President Ronald Reagan. Paul Volcker died on December 8, 2019. Before his death, Volcker participated in an interview with Ray Dalio. I recently stumbled upon this video from February 2019 on YouTube. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMN17...)
Paul Volcker was a firm believer in good governance and felt it is a key factor in keeping the nation healthy. Even back in early 2019, Volcker was unhappy with the efficiency of government management. Since then it could be argued the government has performed even more poorly. He voiced concern over how it seems today that working in government has become a revolving door where people go into a job just long enough to make contacts they can exploit when they return to the private sector.
If Volcker were alive today, it is likely he would be appalled at the current state of affairs considering the role he felt government should play in our lives. One similarity the late 70s and early 80s have in common with today is that many special situations exist that scream huge risk ahead. When we look closely at current trends, it is difficult to ignore the numbers simply do not work going forward.…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
Going to Samarkan
The meeting of the SCO Ministerial Council in Tashkent this past Friday involved some very serious business. That was the key preparatory reunion previous to the SCO summit in mid-September in fabled Samarkand, where the SCO will release a much-awaited “Declaration of Samarkand”.
What happened in Tashkent was predictably unreported across the collective West and still not digested across great swathes of the East.
So once again it’s up to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to cut to the chase. The world’s foremost diplomat – amidst the tragic drama of the American-concocted Era of Non-Diplomacy, Threats and Sanctions – has singled out the two overlapping main themes propelling the SCO as one of the key organizations on the path towards Eurasia integration.
Interconnectivity and “the creation of efficient transport corridors”. The War of Economic Corridors is one of the key features of the 21stDrawing “the roadmap for the gradual increase in the share of national currencies in mutual settlements.”Yet it was in the Q@A session that Lavrov for all practical purposes detailed all the major trends in the current, incandescent state of international relations. These are the key takeaways.
How comfortable are you with the US dollar?
Africa: “We agreed that we will submit to the leaders for consideration proposals on specific actions to switch to settlements in national currencies. I think that everyone will now think about it. Africa already has a similar experience: common currencies in some sub-regional structures, which, nevertheless, by and large, are pegged to Western ones. From 2023, a continental free trade zone will start functioning on the African continent. A logical step would be to reinforce it with currency agreements.”
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
July 31, 2022
Free Food: 33 Foods You Can Forage From July–September
The summer months are a great time to forage for nature-grown edibles. Depending on what part of the country you live in, you are bound to find a few wild foods to take back with you!
The summer months are a great time to forage for nature-grown edibles. Depending on what part of the country you live in, you are bound to find a few wild foods to take back with you!
With food prices climbing, we will all hit our breaking point and will need to consider other options than going to the grocery store and getting back to nature to forage is a great alternative. Here are 33 delicious foods you find in the wild from July to September.
In our previous article in this foraging series, we stressed that with soaring inflation and grocery store shelves emptying, foraging is a great way to enjoy specialty food items for free. It is also more sustainable!
All you need to do is spend some time out in nature. As a side note, it is important to correctly identify medicinal or edible plants that grow naturally and abundantly all around you. If you are just starting out, it is especially important to take a book with you to correctly identify nature plants and food growing in your area. As well, check this article on the absolute best way to tell if a wild plant is edible.
A quick tip: we like to do this with our kids. It’s a learning experience for them as well, and they really love each having a book and trying to cross-reference. You should also take your smartphone if you have one…
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
Chronicling Ecosystem Collapse from the Tropics to the Antarctic
“We assessed evidence of collapse in 19 ecosystems (both terrestrial and marine) along a 58° latitudinal gradient for which major signals of change have been reported.” Combating ecosystem collapse from the tropics to the Antarctic A better title would have been “We aren’t Combatting Ecosystem Collapse from the Tropics to the Antarctic” Click on the link above for the 19 ecosystems that are in collapse now. Below are other links to additional evidence of the unfolding catastrophe.
“At least 452 of the world’s smallest penguins have been found dead on the beaches of New Zealand’s North Island over the past six weeks—and more than half of those over the past 10 days.”
Dead Penguins Keep Washing Up on New Zealand’s Beaches. Here’s Why.
“Little blue penguins — a flightless bird native to New Zealand and the world’s smallest penguin species — have been washing up dead on the country’s beaches, in what experts say are more frequent mass die-offs amid changing climate patterns.” Hundreds of dead penguins are washing up on New Zealand beaches
“Pataua smelled “like death” on Saturday after thousands of dead and dying pipi were blanketed across a shellfish gathering hotspot.”
“A Whangārei Heads resident broke the news online, saying Pataua’s pipi beds were in jeopardy.”
“[…]millions of pipi in every size dead the place smells like death [sic],” they wrote.”
“A video showed a sea of dead pipi strewn across the sandbars between Pataua North and South – popular with seafood gatherers.” Thousands of pipi wash up dead in Pataua, Whangārei Heads
This is a new documentary shot by my old mate Simon Mark Brown;
Episode 1 of Seasick: Saving the Hauraki Gulf.
In the video below my former guest on Nature Bats Last Oceanographer Jim Massa quotes the following paper; Kelp’s Carbon Sink Potential Could Be Blocked by Coastal Darkening
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
Water Woes
If you live in a place where water falls from the sky during summer this blog is perhaps not so helpful. However, gardeners in much of the western United States will suffer this summer from hot days (sometimes record breaking) and will need to irrigate their gardens and trees in order for them to survive impending drought conditions. The ongoing drought has drained reservoirs and flows of rivers are down or, in some cases, dry entirely. Due to water scarcity, purveyors are restricting water use outside of homes and in some cases curtailing all landscape irrigation. Using water wisely in the landscape has never been more relevant than now. In this blog post we’ll continue to explore saving our gardens from drought and touch on water use, water demand and plant stress.
Good news — Bad news
The good news is that the longest day of the year was last month. That means that the days are ever so gradually getting shorter. As days shorten, plants use less water. Water use is tied directly to photosynthesis and when the lights are out there is no photosynthesis. Shorter days mean less demand for water. The bad news is that we may have record breaking hot days ahead. Plants become susceptible to wilt, sunburn and dieback during very hot weather. The best way to prevent this is to ensure that roots are moist during very hot weather.
The combination of drought and heat caused sunburn to these privet leavesMediterranean Climate
It turns out that in Ventura, CA the longest day of the year is one of the historically driest months (least rainfall) and the shortest day occurs in a month with more rain than average…
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
*Summertime, and the livin’ is easy…
If you listen closely you can hear the beasties in your garden just a-singin’ that tune. And who can blame them? Warm temperatures and lush green gardens? They enjoy them as much as we do. But sometimes they can be enjoying our landscape a little too much. So now what do you do?
Visit the garden chemicals section at your local big box store? Reach for your favorite “natural” or DIY concoction? Ask your neighbor?
Hmmm, maybe not.What is the best way to deal with the problem? Three letters answer that question. IPM.
Scoutcat logo courtesy of C. Ware, copyright 2000What is IPM? Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is the management approach you should use to solve pest problems. It can manage all sorts of pests with minimal risks to people, pets, and the environment. IPM’s emphasis is on the management of problems rather than eradication. It focuses on long-term prevention of pests or their damage by managing the ecosystem.
IPM is a five step process: 1) correct pest ID, 2) monitoring and assessing pest numbers and damage, 3) pest ID guidelines for when management action is needed, 4) preventing pest problems, and 5) determining correct control measures. Let’s take a look at each one.
#1. Pest ID
Correct ID of the problem-causing critter is the most important aspect of IPM. If you don’t know what you’re dealing with, how can you devise an effective control strategy, if indeed one is needed?
So what is a pest? Pests are organisms which damage or interfere with desirable plants or damage structures. Pests also include organisms that can impact human or animal health. Pests may transmit disease or may be just a nuisance. A pest can be a plant (weed), vertebrate (bird, rodent, or other mammal), invertebrate (insect, tick, mite, or snail), nematode, or a pathogen (bacteria, virus, or fungus).
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
#228. In the eye of the Perfect Storm
A GUIDE TO THE SURPLUS ENERGY ECONOMY
FOREWORD
The title of this report makes intentional reference to the Perfect Storm paper published by Tullett Prebon back in 2013, when I was head of research at that organization.
Since then, my efforts have been concentrated on (a) promoting discussion (at Surplus Energy Economics) about the energy basis of the economy, and on (b) building an economic model (SEEDS) founded on these principles.
Whilst theoretical debate will continue, and models can always be further refined, time has run out for the purely intellectual contest between conventional and energy-based interpretations of the economy.
Accordingly – and with due apology to those to whom much of this is already familiar – what follows is a comprehensive summary of what we know about the economy as an energy system, and what we can reasonably infer about the future based on this understanding.
INTRODUCTION
Faced with rising inflation, worsening pressure on living standards and significant nervousness in the markets, we’re at liberty – if we so choose – to ascribe all of these problems to the combined effects of the coronavirus crisis and the war in Eastern Europe, and to assure ourselves that the ‘normality’ of never-ending economic growth will return once these temporary vicissitudes are behind us.
The alternative is to face facts.
These are that prior growth in material prosperity has gone into reverse, and that a financial system erected on the mistaken presumption of ‘infinite growth on a finite planet’ faces challenges of a magnitude which eclipse all past experience.
Understood as a system supplying the goods and services which constitute material prosperity, the economy is a dynamic propelled by the supply, value and cost of energy.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
No Farmers, No Food, No Life
No Farmers, No Food, No LifeThe world is now facing a man-made food catastrophe. It is reaching crisis levels.
Current policies in many parts of the world place a priority on climate change for realizing a green new deal. Meanwhile, such policies will contribute to children dying from severe malnutrition due to broken food systems, with shortages of food and water, stress, anxiety, fear, and dangerous chemical exposure.
More negative pressure on farmers and the food system is asking for a catastrophe. The immune system of many people, especially children, has lost its resilience and has weakened too far with high risks for intoxication, infections, non-communicable and infectious diseases, deaths and infertility.
Dutch farmers, of whom many will face a cost of living crisis after 2030, have drawn the line. They are supported by an increasing number of farmers and citizens worldwide.
It’s not the farmers who are the most heavy polluters of the environment, but industries who make the products needed for a technocracy revolution to green energy, data mining, and Artificial Intelligence. As more of the WEF plans are rolled out by politicians, inequalities grow, and conflicts are rising all over the world.
The strong farmers’ revolt in the Netherlands is a call for an urgent transition to a people-oriented, free and healthy world with nutritious food cultivated and harvested in respect to natural processes. The cooperation of ordinary people worldwide is on the rise to prevent a mass famine catastrophe caused by the plan of scientism and technocracy to rule and control the world by unelected scientists and elites.
Enough food, access to food is the problem
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
Micro utopias for an inclusive future
When Gijsbert Huijink, a Dutch national living in Banyoles, in the Catalan province of Girona, set out to install solar panels in his home he stumbled upon a legal labyrinth that criminalized energy self-consumption. “If I wanted to connect to the grid to recharge my batteries and supply my excess, I had to pay a fortune,” Gijsbert Huijink said in an interview.1 Huijink then hatched a plan to exact sweet collective revenge: he founded Som Energia,2 Spain’s first power cooperative. With the help of his wife, his university students, and some friends, Gijsbert laid the foundations to effect a change in the Spanish energy market. Som Energia has since grown from an initial 150 contracts in 2010 to 125,589 in March 2021,3 and it is currently the fastest growing energy cooperative in Europe. Hundreds of city governments have hired its services and dozens of new energy cooperatives are replicating the model.
Som Energia has a characteristic that sets it apart from most environmentalist efforts. It is not a project that merely reacts: it proposes. It does not focus on protesting, but on action. It does not stop at defending certain ideals, but puts those ideals into practice. It goes beyond criticizing an economic model based on fossil fuels: it sets a new model in motion. It does not just denounce the injustice of certain regulations, but goes on to experiment with new forms of democracy. It does not focus on the individual: it aims for sustainability with community and networked solutions.
Som Energia was one of the thirty-two initiatives that participated in the first edition of the Transformative Cities People’s Choice Award and the Atlas of Utopias, the unique coopetition4 launched by the Transnational Institute (TNI) in 2018. Having completed a total of three editions,5 it perfectly embodies the spirit that infuses all those initiatives…
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
