- Sustainability - list.sfgreens.org

[Sustain] PO Task Force meets - and now we need help!
by Jeanne 10 Dec '07

10 Dec '07

The SF Peak Oil Task Force met for the first time last week. The meeting lasted three hours, though much of the time was taken up with administrative matters such as adopting the bylaws, being instructed regarding the SF Sunshine Ordinance, adopting an attendance policy, etc. I was elected chair and Bernie Meyerson agreed to be vice-chair. Ross Mirkarimi attended; he not only spoke for a few minutes, but also stayed and listened for quite some time. He has introduced legislation which would require each city department to make a plan to reduce carbon emissions by 80% by {not sure of date}. He seems open to the possibility of adding peak oil to that legislation (since the mitigations will be largely the same). Regarding the plan the TF is supposed to draw up, we divided up our work into subject areas, and each TF member volunteered to informally head up one area. Here's what we came up with: Transportation - Jeanne Rosenmeier, greengal(a)netvista.net [helpers Carl, Jason] Food - Jason Mark, jasondovemork(a)gmail.com [also Jeanne] Energy - Carl Duisberg, carlduisberg(a)hotmail.com [also Patt] Architecture, including building codes - Patt Gerber, pattgerber(a)gmail.com [Patt needs helpers!] Economic relocalization & justice - Marya Stark, maryastark(a)yahoo.com [also Jeanne, Carl] Societal Function - Jan Lundberg, jan(a)culturechange.org [also Patt, Marya, Bernie] Infrastructure, including waste and water - Bernie Meyerson, ber8832(a)aol.com [Bernie needs helpers!] Before the next meeting, the above folks - and anyone else who is interested in these areas - are tasked with assessing what information we will need, resources available and unavailable, and a basic concept of how to proceed. Unfortunately, the city is not allowing us to hold any public hearings, so we will have to do all our information gathering informally. Now that you've seen the subjects we claim to be addressing, you will see that seven people cannot do enough. One thing we need is suggestions of information bearing on these areas. Another one would be suggestions as to people we should talk to in order to get a full picture and best plan. The next meeting will be Jan 2, 2:30, Room 421, City Hall. Please contact people heading up areas in which you have an interest. Jeanne -- Jeanne Rosenmeier 415 751-0901

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[Sustain] HEARING CANCELED! (Combustion Turbine Hearing)
by Eric Brooks 08 Dec '07

08 Dec '07

IMPORTANT: In true City Hall style, we have been informed by the Supervisors that the hearing on the JPower Combustion Turbine plant is now postponed until mid January. I'll keep you posted. Please pass the word. peace Eric Brooks 415-756-8844 previously I wrote: Hi again, Michela Alioto-Pier's hearing on alternatives to the JPower project looks like it will indeed be in the Land Use Committee this Monday, December 10, at 1pm, probably in City Hall Room 263. HOWEVER - This is not yet 100% confirmed so please just tell folks to be ready and that we will confirm by tomorrow (or Friday at the absolute latest). Previously I wrote: Hi all, Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier has just requested that Supervisor Maxwell hold a Land Use Committee hearing on alternatives to the JPower natural gas combustion turbine project. If Maxwell agrees, there will be a hearing this Monday, December 10 (probably beginning at 1pm in City Hall Room 263). If Maxwell refuses, the item will very likely be called before the full Board of Supervisors this Tuesday, December 11 in Room 250 (probably in the later afternoon). In either case, public comment will be allowed, and we need to be ready to turn out in huge numbers to say 'NO!' to the JPower natural gas power plant. It is also possible that by next week, one of our allies on the Board of Supervisors will introduce an alternative proposal to the JPower project. Regardless of whether there is an alternative on the table, we need to stand strong in the position that San Francisco doesn't need -any- more fossil fuel generation and that any alternative that -is- proposed must be held to -very- high standards; much higher than the SFPUC's and Cal ISO's weak standards for the JPower deal. So, exciting things are afoot. I'll let you know by the end of the week what is happening with hearings, and with alternatives to the JPower deal. peace Eric Brooks Our City SF Green Party -- "I am not a liberator. Liberators do not exist. The people liberate themselves." – Che Guevara

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[Sustain] Update: Hearing On Combustion Turbines Mon
by Eric Brooks 06 Dec '07

06 Dec '07

Hi again, Michela Alioto-Pier's hearing on alternatives to the JPower project looks like it will indeed be in the Land Use Committee this Monday, December 10, at 1pm, probably in City Hall Room 263. HOWEVER - This is not yet 100% confirmed so please just tell folks to be ready and that we will confirm by tomorrow (or Friday at the absolute latest). Previously I wrote: Hi all, Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier has just requested that Supervisor Maxwell hold a Land Use Committee hearing on alternatives to the JPower natural gas combustion turbine project. If Maxwell agrees, there will be a hearing this Monday, December 10 (probably beginning at 1pm in City Hall Room 263). If Maxwell refuses, the item will very likely be called before the full Board of Supervisors this Tuesday, December 11 in Room 250 (probably in the later afternoon). In either case, public comment will be allowed, and we need to be ready to turn out in huge numbers to say 'NO!' to the JPower natural gas power plant. It is also possible that by next week, one of our allies on the Board of Supervisors will introduce an alternative proposal to the JPower project. Regardless of whether there is an alternative on the table, we need to stand strong in the position that San Francisco doesn't need -any- more fossil fuel generation and that any alternative that -is- proposed must be held to -very- high standards; much higher than the SFPUC's and Cal ISO's weak standards for the JPower deal. So, exciting things are afoot. I'll let you know by the end of the week what is happening with hearings, and with alternatives to the JPower deal. peace Eric Brooks Our City SF Green Party -- "I am not a liberator. Liberators do not exist. The people liberate themselves." – Che Guevara

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[Sustain] Urgent! Hearing On Combustion Turbines Likely This Mon or Tue
by Eric Brooks 05 Dec '07

05 Dec '07

Hi all, Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier has just requested that Supervisor Maxwell hold a Land Use Committee hearing on alternatives to the JPower natural gas combustion turbine project. If Maxwell agrees, there will be a hearing this Monday, December 10 (probably beginning at 1pm in City Hall Room 263). If Maxwell refuses, the item will very likely be called before the full Board of Supervisors this Tuesday, December 11 in Room 250 (probably in the later afternoon). In either case, public comment will be allowed, and we need to be ready to turn out in huge numbers to say 'NO!' to the JPower natural gas power plant. It is also possible that by next week, one of our allies on the Board of Supervisors will introduce an alternative proposal to the JPower project. Regardless of whether there is an alternative on the table, we need to stand strong in the position that San Francisco doesn't need -any- more fossil fuel generation and that any alternative that -is- proposed must be held to -very- high standards; much higher than the SFPUC's and Cal ISO's weak standards for the JPower deal. So, exciting things are afoot. I'll let you know by the end of the week what is happening with hearings, and with alternatives to the JPower deal. peace Eric Brooks Our City SF Green Party -- "I am not a liberator. Liberators do not exist. The people liberate themselves." – Che Guevara

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[Sustain] Japan Preparing To Hunt Humpback Whales
by Eric Brooks 04 Dec '07

04 Dec '07

Hey all, Japan is planning to up its whale attacks and is outrageously planning to also hunt humpback whales this year. Please take a second to do an online action to help stop this at: http://usactions.greenpeace.org/action/start/170/ -- "I am not a liberator. Liberators do not exist. The people liberate themselves." – Che Guevara

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[Sustain] Mind Blowing Interview: Large Dams' High Green House Gas Emissions
by Eric Brooks 03 Dec '07

03 Dec '07

Hi all, There is an amazing 25 minute interview with the head of the International Rivers Network on dams' and water projects' massive destructive effects on the atmosphere, and on human land use sustainability at: http://tucradio.org/environment.html go to the fourth link from the top, or directly run in your audio player: http://tucradio.org/0110mccully.mp3 This interview makes crystal clear that energy policy has to be holistic and sensibly thought through, that dams are indeed bad for the environment, and that leaving them in place will in many cases -promote- global warming, and will accelerate already looming food depletion. dare I say cheers? Eric

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Re: [Sustain] My Piece On Agro-fuels (& Tallow)
by Eric Brooks 01 Dec '07

01 Dec '07

I would be strongly opposed to that latter proposal for two reasons. 1) It could create a dependence and increase is developing energy from animal agriculture, and could greatly increase the public acceptance of animal agriculture by giving it a green cloak. It would likely even give a financial boost to animal agriculture because demand (and therefore price) for tallow for biodiesel plants might become greatly increased by skyrocketing petroleum prices. Animal agriculture is one of the most prolific generators of green house gasses; and also creates destruction of land and water quality in ways that further strongly deepen the climate crisis. So, it is crucial to steer strongly away from animal agriculture, and of course to concurrently get as many people to go vegetarian and vegan as possible to make a major multi-spectrum impact on the current planetary environmental collapse. 2) As a strong animal rights activist, I find it further, ethically and ecologically unacceptable to get energy from the killing of non-human animals. We went through this once already with whales (for their oil). Let's not repeat that scenario on land. By the way, another note on all of this that is never considered with both tallow and vegetable waste oil is that even these promote unnecessary consumer choices (for example eating deep fried foods) which we should be trying to steer consumers away from; both for public health reasons, and most importantly, because the extensive use of land to grow crops for oil and fat (which is then only thrown out after use) also creates massive green house gas emissions. These emissions are likely profound enough to make the supposed global warming mitigating impacts of reprocessing waste oils and fats non-existent. It is for this final reason that I am flatly opposed to all biofuels, even those from waste grease and oil. We could argue that at least tightly packed cities should make use of waste grease and oil to reduce health impacts from diesel pollutants. But it would be better to get rid of those impacts completely with electric transportation and construction systems. If we proceed with the SF biofuels program at all, we should narrowly target the use of that fuel to the worst emitters of diesel fumes, specifically, construction equipment; and make the program temporary, with the intention of phasing it out as actual renewable replacements come on line. peace Eric Brooks Cal Broomhead wrote: > But he is right, bio-diesel must be local and must truly be from waste > fats, oil, grease (FOG). Currently, the City's B20 does not meet that > standard, but I believe it will soon. There has been talk about the > Darling rendering plant (off 3rd St. in SF) providing as much as 4 > million gallons of B100. Currently, they make tallow for the cosmetic > and soap industries, which would lose the resource - not much of a > loss in my book. > > Cal Broomhead and Kathleen Ribeiro > broomhead(a)igc.org <mailto:broomhead@igc.org> > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > *From:* Don Eichelberger <mailto:done7777@sbcglobal.net> > *To: *Eric Brooks <mailto:brookse32@aim.com> > *Cc: *GPCA-Energy(a)yahoogroups.com <mailto:GPCA-Energy@yahoogroups.com> > *Sent:* 11/28/2007 3:21:36 PM > *Subject:* Re: [Sustain] My Piece On Agro-fuels In Beyond Chron > > Eric- > > Great article, overall. Had some problem with some of the > rhetoric which left a vague sense of overstatement. I know it is > not an overstatement, and that is the rub. > > But expressions like, "blindly hooked on a devastating, diseased, > biofuels illusion...(a)nd unwitting starry eyed supporters of it > like Willie Nelson and E. "Doc" Smith are the keystone... writes a > smarmy smiling article...." > > are a bit of a turn-off to me, and i believe, to some of the > public, mostly those who do not want to hear the truth, anyway. > > But I can definitely relate to the frustration, and it is mostly a > great article. > > Definitely worth the read, > > Don > > At 08:26 AM 11/26/2007, you wrote: >> Hi all, >> >> I got a good guest editorial spot for a piece I wrote strongly >> criticising biodiesel and the agro-fuels industry. >> >> See below or: >> http://www.beyondchron.org/articles/Guest_Editorial_The_Terrible_Illusion_o… >> >> >> >> *Guest Editorial: The Terrible Illusion of Biodiesel* >> >> >> >> /by Eric Brooks, 2007-11-26 >> /I read with shocked and tired eyes E. "Doc" Smith's recent >> glowing article >> <http://www.beyondchron.org/news/index.php?itemid=5132> about San >> Francisco's biodiesel program. As an environmental activist with >> over two decades experience, every time I see an article like >> this, I lose another little bit of precious life and hope. >> >> Smith and others like him, trumpeting the valor of biodiesel and >> other biofuels, need to knock it off immediately. Biodiesel does >> -not- produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions than petroleum >> diesel, in fact it produces more. And the reality gets even worse >> than that. Biodiesel and other biofuels have suddenly become a >> huge booming industry which, because of the the nature of how >> those fuels are produced, is now destroying the planet and human >> civilization much faster than global warming. >> >> This needs to be repeated... The new biofuels boom is -worse- >> than global warming. And unwitting starry eyed supporters of it >> like Willie Nelson and E. "Doc" Smith are the keystone that is >> helping massive multi-national corporations get the planet's >> increasingly environmentally conscious public to become blindly >> hooked on a devastating, diseased, biofuels illusion. >> >> Those of us on the cutting edge of fighting the climate crisis >> have been struggling mightily to get people to wake up from this >> illusion for the last decade and we are beginning to get >> attention; but not nearly fast enough to stop corporations like >> ADM, Cargill, British Petroleum (BP), Monsanto, and many others >> from ramping up a massive explosion in biofuels, bioplastics, and >> biochemicals production which is already visibly and measurably >> increasing our already serious global environmental collapse at >> an almost exponential rate. >> >> The key problem of perception is french fry oil. When told of how >> some people are now running their cars on used vegetable oils >> that would have been thrown away, environmen tally conscious >> people immediately get very excited by the idea. I myself long >> ago, got very excited about it. But then I started thinking about >> all of the work that the environmental movement has done to fight >> corporate monoculture agriculture's devastating impact on the the >> planet. I started to crunch numbers in my head, and I immediately >> realized that biofuels could not possibly be a good thing, and >> that soon they would present the worst environmental disaster we >> have ever faced. That grim realization is now becoming a reality. >> >> The problem is one of sheer scale. The amount of fuel that can be >> produced from recycling used cooking oil is only a tiny fraction >> of the total fuel used every day by diesel automobiles. What this >> means is that projects like San Francisco's waste oils biodiesel >> program will quickly run out of those waste oils long before even >> a small part of San Francisco's fleet of diesel cars, trucks and >> construction equipment is converted to biodiesel. At that point >> there is only one place to get the supposedly magical biodiesel; >> from massive corporate plantations of monocrops grown >> specifically to produce biodiesel. >> >> In fact, because of European requirements for biofuel use, this >> is already happening. As you read this article, huge amounts of >> both rainforest, and food crop land, are being cleared in order >> to produce automobile fuel crops, most prominently, biodiesel >> from palm oil. The impact is already staggering and is getting >> worse very rapidly. And as rainforest and cropland are being >> destroyed, some grain food prices are skyrocketing both because >> food crops have been replaced by fuel crops and because many >> former food crops themselves are being used to produce fuel >> -instead- of food. >> >> This process is devastating the global ecosystem and economies in >> the global South; the latter which are already staggering under >> the terrible weight of a global agriculture industry that is >> eating up lands which once produced local food, in order to grow >> and sell to the world market, higher pri ced export crops. Take >> one look at the world's insane love of the automobile, and at the >> booming production of new automobiles for countries like China, >> and it is easy to see that biofuels are the -ultimate- export >> crop; which will form the foundation of a planet and civilization >> killing industry, if we allow their production to proceed any >> further. >> >> And as this cropland and rainforest clearing rages forward, the >> process, because it is accompanied by realities like top soil >> disturbance (which releases CO2) and the burning of undesirable >> trees and plant wastes, is creating massively higher CO2 releases >> than even petroleum products produce. For example, biodiesel made >> from palm oil produces -ten- times more global warming gasses >> than petroleum diesel. >> >> To complete the grim cycle, every time someone like Smith, >> however noble and well intentioned, writes a smarmy smiling >> article about how great and progressive biofuel is, the big ag >> companies go to Congresses and Parliaments all over the world >> with an even further gleefully deceived public as back-up, to get >> increased subsidies for this new devastating biofuels industry. >> >> And biofuel is just the beginning. These companies are now >> branching out into bioplastics, biochemicals, and >> biopharmaceuticals. Companies like BP (with its new 500 million >> dollar labs at UC Berkeley) are literally making plans to >> manufacture everything we produce now from petroleum and natural >> gas, from plant crops instead. The result of such nonsense is >> easily predictable - a much more rapid planetary collapse which >> will be completed in our own lifetimes. >> >> This insanity must be stopped immediately, and the first step is >> to stop painting glowing images of biofuels and start painting >> the accurate, Bosch like nightmare panorama, of biofuels as a >> disaster, which is now eating our planet alive, faster than >> global warming. >> >> To start getting a sense of the nature and scale of this problem, >> I recommend reading a couple of articles by science writer and >> environmental activist George Monbiot at, >> http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2005/12/06/worse-than-fossil-fuel/ >> and http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2007/03/27/a-lethal-solution/ >> / >> Eric Brooks is Co-Chair of the San Francisco Green Party >> Sustainability Working Group./ >> >> >> -- >> "I am not a liberator. Liberators do not exist. The people liberate >> themselves." -- Che >> Guevara >> _______________________________________________ >> Sustainability mailing list >> Sustainability(a)sfgreens.org >> https://list.sfgreens.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/sustainability > > > Don Eichelberger > DJ Fix Independent Productions > > Green Uprising Blog > www.greenuprising.blogspot.com > > <http://www.greenuprising.blogspot.com/>My You Tube > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctRp5rGJoUc > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iySwwyZfDgE > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r9rK8nPREA > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5UbnJ0kUqo > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SktIYTyC1U > > Donny Fix del.icio.us book marks > http://del.icio.us/donnyfix > > The Hegelian/Marxist goal is emancipation. Marx said it best in 1843: > > "Human emancipation wll only be complete when the real, individual > man (sic) is absorbed into himself the abstract citizen; when as > an individual man, in his every day life, in his work and in his > relationships, he has become a /species-being/ (*politically > accountabe to the whole*); and when he recognizes and realizes his > own power as /social/ powers, so that he no longer separates this > /socia/l power from himself as /political /power." > -- "I am not a liberator. Liberators do not exist. The people liberate themselves." -- Che Guevara

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Re: [Sustain] [GPCA-Energy] Waste water to hydrogen
by Don Eichelberger 30 Nov '07

30 Nov '07

Interesting that bacteria can be used as pre-digesters, helping release the hydrogen. Looks like regular sewage plants don't have the necessary ingredients. Could need to rethink water treatment strategies. Don At 10:49 AM 11/23/2007, Wren Osborn wrote: ><http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSN1252888620071112>http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSN1252888620071112 > > >Waste water plus bacteria make hydrogen fuel--a study. > >San Diego is asking for waivers--a third time--rather than clean up >the discharge from the sewer treatment plant. Maybe they could make >hydrogen instead. Still at the pie in the sky stage but worth exploring. > >Wren Osborn </blockquote></x-html> Don Eichelberger DJ Fix Independent Productions Green Uprising Blog www.greenuprising.blogspot.com My You Tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctRp5rGJoUc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iySwwyZfDgE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r9rK8nPREA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5UbnJ0kUqo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SktIYTyC1U Donny Fix del.icio.us book marks http://del.icio.us/donnyfix The Hegelian/Marxist goal is emancipation. Marx said it best in 1843: "Human emancipation wll only be complete when the real, individual man (sic) is absorbed into himself the abstract citizen; when as an individual man, in his every day life, in his work and in his relationships, he has become a species-being (politically accountabe to the whole); and when he recognizes and realizes his own power as social powers, so that he no longer separates this social power from himself as political power."

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[Sustain] Fwd: SPECIAL: Home Planet Money Emergency
by Don Eichelberger 29 Nov '07

29 Nov '07

Here is an interesting set of articles comprising a good primer on the current home mortgage crisis and the primary players. Traceable cause?: "The troubles faced by Citigroup are linked to the enormous expansion of speculation by US banks. This speculation has been encouraged by the deregulation of the financial sector, including the repeal of the Depression-era Glass-Steagall Act in 1999. The repeal, carried out under the Clinton administration, broke down the wall between investment and commercial banking. This made conglomerates such as Citigroup possible, and encouraged the closer integration of the banking system with Wall Street. " Banking deregulation has put more power in to a complexity of business relationships overseen by many who practice and make the law. I am increasingly convinced that the legal profession has drawn a large share of unscrupulous practitioners who define the laws by their limits, and what can be transgressed without breaking "legal" boundaries, or in this case, extending the boundaries. I can share my thoughts at a later time on this Cabal that has been forming since Reagan days, and has been enabled by Democrats like Clinton, whose "run government like a corporation" ethic transgresses party lines. But for now, enjoy the heartbreak, Don >To: keith lampe <prez(a)usa-exile.org> >Subject: SPECIAL: Home Planet Money Emergency >From: "President, USA Exile Govt" <prez(a)usa-exile.org> >Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 06:48:19 -0500 >FREE UNIVERSITY >Transferring Prime Human Attention from Objects to States of Mind > Via <prez(a)usa-exile.org> > November 29, 2007 > >Dear Friends and Colleagues, > Peter Myers has put together an > interesting mix of pieces on the current > financial meltdown--and here they are. > >Regards, > >Pondo > >From: Peter Myers <myers(a)cyberone.com.au> >Date: November 29, 2007 5:57:00 AM EST >To: Howard Miller <macserve(a)applelinks.net> >Subject: Lyndon LaRouche, ignored at home, but endorsed by Chinese Government > >Critics might say I am a supporter of Lyndon >LaRouche; but I find his material a mixed bag. > >Although he plays only a small role in the US, >Britain & Australia, partly through the medias >demonisation of him (when it is not just >ignoring him), he does play a major role in the >world, because his literature reveals at least >part of the conspiracy running those countries. >Chinas government learns much about what is >really going on, from his literature, and, no >doubt, from conspiracy-revealing websites on the internet. > >In the West, we are rubbished as Conspiracy >Theorists. But on a world scale, we are important. > >(1) Credit crisis reveals widespread accounting manipulation by top US banks >(2) China trying to dump $1.4 trillion in U.S. >Securities for Euro denominated purchases >(3) Lyndon LaRouche, ignored at home, but endorsed by Chinese Government >(4) Chinas press report on Larouches statement on financial crisis >(5) US banking crisis - Citigroup borrows $7.5 billion from Abu Dhabi > >(1) Credit crisis reveals widespread accounting manipulation by top US banks > >From: "Dick Eastman" <olfriend(a)nwinfo.net> >Date: Tue, 27 Nov 2007 14:10:17 -0800 > ><http://www.wsws.org/articles/2007/nov2007/econ-n27.shtml>http://www.wsws.org/articles/2007/nov2007/econ-n27.shtml > > >27 November 2007 > >Credit crisis reveals widespread accounting manipulation by top US banks > >By Joe Kay > >The developing credit crisis in the United >States, linked to the bursting of the housing >market bubble, is beginning to reveal the >accounting manipulations employed by major US >banks to engage in speculative activities and >hide risks. Several major banks have already >announced billions of dollars in losses >associated with subprime mortgages, and in the >next months are expected to announce tens of >billions of dollars in further write-downs. > >Among those most severely affected is >Citigroupan American financial conglomerate >that is the worlds largest company measured by >asset value. CNBC reported on Monday that >Citigroup is planning major cost-cutting in >response to its difficulties, with layoffs of up >to 45,000 of the companys approximately 320,000 employees. > >In a statement, the bank insisted that reports >involving specific numbers of layoffs were not >factual, but acknowledged that the company is >planning ways in which we can be more efficient >and cost effective to position our businesses in >line with economic realities. New cuts would >come on top of 17,000 layoffs announced in April. > >The announcement, coming amidst Wall Street >nervousness over the ongoing credit crisis, sent >Citigroups stock down more than 6 percent. Over >the past six months, the price of the companys >stock has fallen nearly 50 percent. Citi led a >steep market decline on Monday, with the Dow >Jones Industrial Average falling nearly 240 >points, more than wiping out its increase on Friday. > >Chief among the economic realities behind >Citigroups announcement is the credit crisis >brought on by record defaults on home mortgages >in the United States. Citigroup has already >announced a $5 billion write-down related to >home mortgages, which provoked the resignation >of its CEO Charles Prince. It is expected to >announce further losses of up to $11 billion in the fourth quarter. > >The banks exposure could be much greater, >however, as it may be forced to acknowledge >losses that it had previously kept off its >books. An article by Wall Street Journal >reporter David Reilly on Monday (Citis $41 >Billion Issue: Should it put CDOs On the Balance >Sheet?) noted that the bank faces an immediate >threat from troubles involving >off-balance-sheet entities called collateralized debt obligations (CDOs) > >The Journal notes that Citigroup was one of the >biggest arrangers of CDOsproducts that pools >debt, often mortgage securities, and then sell >slices with varying degrees of risk. The bank >may be forced to bring these CDOs onto its >balance sheet. If Citigroup had to include an >additional $41 billion in CDO assets on its >books, the Journal noted, that could >potentially spur a further $8 billion in >write-downs, above and beyond those already >signaled, according to a report earlier this >month by Howard Mason, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein. > >Throughout the housing boom of the past several >years, the CDOs, and related entities known as >structured investment vehicles (SIVs), made >substantial returns. SIVs are also >off-balance-sheet entities, but are more >open-ended, investing in other risky securities, >including CDOs. Even those entities closely >associated with banks have been nominally >independent. The independence of these >entities has been entirely fraudulent, however. >They have been critical for the banks bottom >line as sources of lucrative fees, buying up >mortgages and other assets from their parent banks. > >As the CDOs and SIVs have faltered with the >collapse of the housing bubble, the banks have >looked for ways to bail them out. The Journal >notes, Over the summer, [Citigroup] was forced >to buy $25 billion in commercial paper issued by >its CDO vehicles because investors were no >longer interested in the paper. Citigroup >already had an $18 billion exposure to these >vehicles through other funding it had provided. > >The determination with which Citigroup and other >banks have scrambled to bail out these >investment entities is itself testament to the >fact that they were never really independent to begin with. > >Commenting on the way that major banks were able >to shift their risks off their balance sheets, >New York Times economic writer Floyd Norris >noted in an article published November 16 (As >Bank Profits Grew, Warning Signs Went >Unheeded,), Instead of being suspicious, many >analysts believed that banks had found a new way >to prosper. Making a loan and keeping it on the >balance sheet until it was repaid was so >old-fashioned. It was far better to collect fees >for arranging transactions and passing on the risks to others. > >In fact, many of these risks were not really >transferred. Norris notes that the banks often >made arrangements (called liquidity puts) with >the purchasers of their CDO securities that >would allow the purchasers to sell the CDO >securities back to the bank if there was no >other market. That risk may have seemed slight >when the securitization market was booming. But >now the banks are being forced to buy back >securities for more than they are worth. > >In essence, the puts allowed the banks to sell >CDOs and other assets without really selling >them. Use of the puts actually increased as the >housing market began to unravel, as it was >necessary to provide the guarantees in order for >the banks to get investors to buy >mortgage-backed securities whose value was increasingly in question. > >The legality of these operations is highly >dubious, since part of the intention appears to >have been to mislead investors regarding the >financial health of the company. Even if the >operations by banks were legal, the fact that >they were not reported to investors was likely a >violation of accounting rules. > >According to Norris, Citigroup and Bank of >America were among those banks that used liquidity puts heavily. > >All of these arrangements amount to attempts by >banks to gamble on risky investments without >acknowledging the risks they were taking on. As >the market for these investments has begun to >collapse, the real extent of the losses is only >beginning to reveal itselfand no one knows how severe the crisis really is. > >Most banks were involved in such activities. >Earlier this month, the Securities and Exchange >Commission opened an investigation into >investment bank Merrill Lynch that, according to >the Wall Street Journal, is intended to examine >how the bank has been valuing, or marking, >its mortgage securities and how it has disclosed its positions to investors. > >In a November 2 article, the Journal reported >that Merrill arranged one deal with a hedge fund >to sell $1 billion in commercial paper related >to mortgages, while giving the hedge fund the >right to sell it back after one year at a set >price. The newspaper later corrected its article >to note that this deal, similar in many ways to >the arrangements at Citigroup, was rejected >because the bank determined that it was a violation of accounting rules. > >Nevertheless, Merrill is highly exposed to the >housing markets. Earlier reports suggested that >Merrill hid its own exposure to the subprime >mortgage crisis by shifting its assets to >different parts of the company subject to less >strict accounting regulations. (See Wall Street >hides impact of subprime mortgage meltdown) > >As late as July 2007 executives at the bank, >including former CEO Stan ONeal, were assuring >employees that its mortgage risks were under >control. At the end of October, Merrill >announced a $7.9 billion write-down, which was followed by ONeals departure. > >The crisis facing banks is an international >phenomenon. The stock market sell off on Monday >was provoked in part by an announcement from >British-based HSBCEuropes largest bank and the >worlds fourth largest corporation in terms of >assetsthat it would bail out two of its SIVs >and transfer their assets onto its balance sheet. > >Since the credit crisis began in full force this >summer, banks have scrambled to stave off a >reckoning with the enormity of the losses >involved. The hope has been that the economic >crisis will be short-lived and that the housing >market will eventually recover, restoring the value of the assets in question. > >It is unlikely that this will happen, however, >and there is an increasing likelihood of a >recession. In an article published in the >Financial Times on Sunday (Wake up to the >dangers of a deepening crisis), Lawrence >Summers, former Treasury Secretary in the >Clinton Administration, warned, [T]he odds now >favor a US recession that slows growth >significantly on a global basis. Summers noted, >Forward-looking indicators suggest that the >housing sector may be in free-fall from what >felt like the basement levels of a few months ago. > >The initial revelations of accounting >manipulations and indications of fraudulent >activities are only a small indication of the >extent to which the American economy is pervaded >by financial speculation and out-and-out criminality. > >It was the collapse of the dot-com boom in 2001 >that ultimately unwound the elaborate structure >of corruption at companies such as Enron, >WorldCom, and Tyco. These companies were no >longer able to perpetuate their fraudulent >activities once the stock market ceased its continual upward march. > >The major banks were heavily involved in the >activities exposed at that time. In 2003, >Citigroup and JP Morgan Chase were forced to pay >out fines for aiding Enron in disguising loans >as cash to reduce reported risk and liabilities, >thereby defrauding investors. Essentially, the >banks gave Enron loans, but cloaked these loans >in an apparent purchase of assets. This >manipulation improved Enrons financial reports, >which was beneficial for banks that were heavily >invested in Enron stock. (See Citigroup, Morgan >Chase fined for Enron deals: corruption at the heights of American finance) > >The operations involving CDOs and SIVs bear a >certain resemblance in that they too were >evidently intended to disguise risk. Much of the >risk was ultimately held by the bank itself, but >this was not readily apparent to investors. > >Though the banks were involved in the >manipulations at Enron and other companies, the >fraud was generally explained by the media and >the political establishment as the product of a >few bad apples. Several executives were put on >trial and imprisoned, but the underlying >conditions remained and the banks remained >largely untouched. The dot-com bubble was >quickly replaced by the housing bubble, which >had the effect of extending the speculative >mania of Wall Street to a much broader section of the economy. > >The pervasiveness of accounting manipulation is >closely linked to the increasingly dominant role >that speculation has come to play in the >American economy. Vast sums of wealthincluding >tens and hundreds of millions of dollars to top >executives and hedge fund managershave been >made through mechanisms that are largely >divorced from any relationship to actual >production. The importance of these forms of >speculative wealth accumulation has increased as >the underlying health of the American economy has decreased. > >The housing market has been a case in point, as >a small layer of the population has made >billions through high-risk loans to working >class Americans who are now bearing the burden >of a crushing level of debt. The loans have been >used to transfer wealth into the hands of the >ruling elite, and at the same time became a means of speculation. > >Entities such as CDOs and SIVs were set up as a >means for Wall Street to extract enormous >profits, while at the same time cloaking the >extremely fragile foundation for this supposed >economic growth. As the housing market deflates, >this whole structure is beginning to unravel. > >(2) China trying to dump $1.4 trillion in U.S. >Securities for Euro denominated purchases > >From: "Dick Eastman" <olfriend(a)nwinfo.net> >Date: Tue, 27 Nov 2007 15:26:31 -0800 > >From: no matters <atoyuma(a)yahoo.com> (Chris L.) >Date: Nov 27, 2007 3:49 PM > >Arlington Institute issues a Financial Alert based on M·CAM Analytics > >Kenneth Dabkowski, Executive Director -- The Arlington Institute > ><http://www.m-cam.com/display_news?id=240>http://www.m-cam.com/display_news?id=240 > > >Berkeley Springs, West Virginia -- November 19, >2007 -- At a recent board meeting of The >Arlington Institute, Dr. David Martin, CEO of >M·CAM and one of the members of the board was >asked for his assessment of the global financial >situation in the coming months. > >Here are the notes from his response: > >I stand by my commentary in July of '06. > > * The next shoe to fall is consumer credit > >Currently as reports came in on 3rd quarter, >foreclosures were up 470% this quarter alone. >They will be up over 500% this coming quarter >(4th). A foreclosure in our terms is when the >bank has officially declared an account >insolvent and tries to regain the asset (if it >exists). The person who is foreclosed upon can >no longer secure any traditional consumer >credit. This in turn goes straight to the banks >as no one will be able to get the store issued charge cards. > >A minority of people pay off their consumer debt >every month. When one considers the combination >of consumer credit card debt and the compounded >debt of "home equity" financing, we estimate >that less than 20% of people actually carry no >consumer credit from one month to the next. Many >of the ones who don't pay off their carried >consumer debt have at least one credit card at >its limit and therefore lack credit capacity. >Most have their paycheck directly covering bills >and servicing the minimum balance due. > >Therefore people who are foreclosed upon will >not be able to obtain credit and since their >paychecks will be maxed out, there will not be >extra cash left over from the paycheck to service a new debt. > >Next, everybody buys things at Christmas. As >much as 40% of retail sales are done in the 4th >quarter of the year -- i.e. the retail miracle. >The purchase decline in retail goods this fourth >quarter will occur because many credit-only >consumers will lack the credit capacity >mentioned above. Frequently, people overcharge >their limit and the banks (albeit a profit >center for subprime credit users) levy a penalty >by increasing interest rates and charging >additional fees. In the 4th quarter of 2007, the >amount of people overcharging their limits will >be too many for the banks to handle. We do not >have a system in place to deal with overcharge >on that scale. A substantial number of this >December's purchases will go into an overdraft on credit limits. > >... An effort by China to convert its $1.4 >trillion U.S. Treas. holdings into euros is not >viable for many reasons -- not the least of >which is the European Central Bank's inability to absorb such an event. > >As China continues its rush away from supporting >U.S. Treasuries and as Middle Eastern investors >are buying them up in more diversified holdings, >a new "currency exchange" is unfolding. >Realizing that they cannot liquidate their >holdings, it appears that the Chinese are >currently using their U.S. Treasury holdings as >collateral for euro denominated purchases and >long term infrastructure transactions. In other >words, they may be "liquidating" their holdings >as collateral and, in so doing, effectively >migrating to non-dollar value without ever >having to officially dump their current Treasury holdings. > >Therefore, collateralize the credit in dollars >-- especially if you're long in dollars. The >lender/financier won't call the note because you >have it structured in such a way to both allow >it to perform and hold illiquid collateral that >no one wants. This essentially inflates euros. >Although you can't sell dollars, the whole >purpose of collateral is that it is a second >source of payment -- collateral is there to down >rate the risk of the loan. Secondary becomes irrelevant. > >When February comes, the Chinese are going to do >something as they will have to decide what the >exposure is going to be with the treasury. As I >see it they have to just dump the treasury. They >only keep it because they can use it -- they >have 43% direct/indirect of US treasuries so they'll dump them on the market. > >The US Congressional pressures to decouple the >RMB will work, but not in the way we want. Our >plan includes helping them hold on to the >treasuries, it does not involve them not holding >the dollar anymore. The US wanted the tether to >be part of the float. This will cause >disenfranchisement of the US electorate (during >primary season). February is also when public >(media) will realize we won't pull out of this. > >(3) Lyndon LaRouche, ignored at home, but endorsed by Chinese Government > >From: CEC Media Release<mediarelease(a)cecaust.com.au> >Date: 28 Nov 2007 22:08:51 +1100 > >Citizens Electoral Council of Australia > >Media Release 28th of November 2007 > ><http://www.cecaust.com.au>http://www.cecaust.com.au > >China endorses LaRouche's call to solve global monetary crisis > >As the keynote speaker at a November 24 Los >Angeles Forum on U.S.-China Relations, Lyndon H. >LaRouche called for the United States and China >to join hands to reform the world financial >system as it enters the most deadly crisis in recent centuries. > >Specifically, LaRouche's proposal calls for >co-operation of the governments of the U.S.A., >Russia, China, and India, to bring the present >international crisis under control, and, >therefore, to rally a majority of the world's >nations to stabilise the world system through >bankruptcy reorganisation and a new Bretton >Woods fixed-exchange rate system, thus providing >the foundation for general economic recovery. > >Immediately following this intervention, >LaRouche's call became leading news around the >world, including coverage in Chinese, Arabic, >Farsi and Hungarian-language media. The three >official Chinese government press agencies: >Xinhua, People's Daily (the world's largest >circulation newspaper) and China Daily published >an eight-paragraph press release summarising his >proposals. Coming from government agencies, this >is an overt endorsement of LaRouche's policy >prescriptions by the Chinese government. > >By the next day, LaRouche's warning that "the >end of the present world monetary-financial >system is inevitable, unless the system is >replaced by a new world system during a >relatively brief, remaining time" was also >appearing on important Chinese financial >websites, including the China Securities Journal, and the China Business Post. > >The article was listed among the "most popular" >of the previous 24 hours on the People's Daily >website. The Chinese report was also published >in the Xinhua Arabic-language news service. >Iran's Press TV website ran a feature on >LaRouche's contribution to the event, quoting >him saying, "The world financial system has >entered the most deadly crisis in recent >centuries." LaRouche's call was also covered in the Budapest Business Journal. > >Click here for the English-language version of the Chinese press release: ><http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-11/25/content_7140919.htm>http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-11/25/content_7140919.htm > > >(4) Chinas press report on Larouches statement on financial crisis > ><http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-11/25/content_7140919.htm>http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-11/25/content_7140919.htm > > >Economist: U.S., China should join hands to reform world financial system >www.chinaview.cn 2007-11-25 11:04:58 Print > >LOS ANGELES, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- The United >States and China should join hands in an effort >to reform the world financial system, which has >currently entered the most deadly crisis in >recent centuries, a renowned U.S. economist said Saturday. > >"The end of the present world monetary-financial >system is inevitable, unless the system is >replaced by a new world system during a >relatively brief, remaining time available," >said Lyndon La Rouche at a luncheon at the Forum >on U.S.-China Relations and China's Peaceful Reunification. > >La Rouche, also a famous political activist, >said the present international financial crisis >could only be brought under control when major >countries like the U.S. and China cooperate. > >"Whenever a powerful combination of national >governments can arrive at a suitable agreement >to change a failed financial-monetary system, a >solution for any modern financial crisis can be found," he said. > >He said that the United States should propose to >form an initial sponsoring group made up of the >governments of the U.S., China, Russia and >India, therefore to rally a majority of nations >in order to stabilize the world system. > >LaRouche lamented that all evidence has >confirmed the current crisis, notably the recent >collapse of the U.S. dollar' exchange rates >against other major currencies, but nothing >visible had been done so far by any government >to change the world financial system to solve the problem. > >The forum, jointly organized by several local >Chinese-American, gathered nearly 100 government >officials, scholars and activists form the U.S. >and China, who were expected to discuss issues >on U.S.-China relations and their implications >on the Taiwan issue during the two-day event. > >"The Taiwan issue remains the sensitive core >issue in China-U.S. relation," said Zhang Yun, >consul general of China in Los Angeles, while >speaking earlier at the forum's opening ceremony. > >(5) US banking crisis - Citigroup borrows $7.5 billion from Abu Dhabi > ><http://www.wsws.org/articles/2007/nov2007/bank-n29.shtml>http://www.wsws.org/articles/2007/nov2007/bank-n29.shtml > > >Citigroup deal highlights US banking crisis > >By Joe Kay > >29 November 2007 > >Use this version to print | Send this link by email | Email the author > >On Monday, US banking giant Citigroup announced >a deal with Abu Dhabi to secure a $7.5 billion >cash infusion. The arrangement is intended to >shore up the banks financing amidst an ongoing >credit crisis, but the desperate character of >the deal is an indication of the deep crisis facing American capitalism. > >Citigroupthe largest US bank and the largest >corporation in the world measured by assetshas >been particularly hard hit by the deflation of >the US housing market, which has called into >question the value of hundreds of billions of >dollars in mortgages and securities. > >Certain basic measurements of the banks >financial health have fallen sharply in recent >monthsin particular its capital ratio, >representing the amount of assets the bank has >relative to its liabilities. To provide a >temporary bandage for this problem, the bank >arranged the deal with the Abu Dhabi Investment >Authority (ADIA), a state institution of Abu >Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. > >The structure of the deal is unfavorable for >Citigroup. The $7.5 billion will be exchanged >for equity units convertible into shares in the >company within the next four years. Until the >conversion time, Citigroup has agreed to pay out >an interest rate of 11 percent annuallywhich >exceeds the average rate for junk bonds in the >United States. At the end of the period, ADIA >will be the largest single shareholder of >Citigroup, with up to 4.9 percent ownership. > >In effect, the arrangement amounts to a $7.5 >billion loan at an interest rate of 11 percent. >The principle will be converted into Citigroup >stock at a price only slightly above its recent >record-low. If the stock price rises, ADIA can >make money on the difference between its purchase price and the market price. > >ADIAs share of Citigroup will exceed that of >the current largest shareholder, Prince Al >Waleed bin Talal of Saudi Arabia, who purchased >3.6 percent of the company at the time of its >last major financial crisis, in 1991. > >At the same time, the funding is not enough to >cover the banks enormous obligations. CIBC >World Markets analyst Meredith Whitney, who has >raised questions about Citigroups financial >health, told the British newspaper, The >Telegraph, Theyre desperate. This $7.5 billion >is just not enough money by a long shot. > >The deal was carefully structured so that it >would be accounted neither as a bondwhich would >not have solved the problem of the banks >capital ratioor a stock salewhich would have >led to a dilution of the companys share value. > >Citigroups search for cash has been made >necessary by the loss of tens of billions of >dollars by affiliated but off-balance-sheet >investment entities. These entities include >structured investment vehicles (SIVs), >collateralized debt obligations (CDOs) and >conduits. Each of these is important in >different ways, but they are all invested >heavily in subprime and other home mortgage >securities, which have lost much of their value in recent months. > >Among US banks, Citigroup has most heavily >employed SIVs, CDOs, and conduits to gamble on >the housing market. The collapse of the housing >market has begun to unravel the highly >speculative arrangements that were designed to >disguise the amount of risk that the bank had >taken on. Citigroup has already been forced to >write-down $6.8 billion in housing-related >losses and is expected to write-down $8 billion >to $11 billion in the fourth quarter. > >This is likely only a small part of Citigroups >problems. The bank has tens of billions more on >off-balance-sheet entities that are nominally >independent but are in fact closely tied to the >bank. This includes $83 billion in seven SIVs, >$41 billion in CDOs, and $73 billion in >conduits. Citi is also expected to announce tens >of thousands of job losses as a result of its financial woes. > >The continued existence of Citigroup as an >independent entity is in some question. There >have been some rumors of a possible merger offer >from Bank of America, which is facing its own >severe credit problems. Some investors have >called for the bank to be dismantled. > >Since the credit crisis began several months >ago, several banks have moved to absorb their >off-balance-sheet entities. Citigroup has so far >resisted, however, due to its increasingly precarious financial position. > >In October, Citigroup, along with JP Morgan >Chase and Bank of America, worked out an >arrangement under the direction of the US >Treasury Department, to create a special fund >that would buy up assets owned by SIVs to >prevent them from becoming insolvent. The >establishment of the super-SIV was intended to >allow the banks to avoid any immediate reckoning with the losses involved. > >However, the success of this venture is >doubtful, since many investors and banks have >balked at supporting it. The deal with Abu Dhabi >is another attempt to avoid acknowledging the extent of Citigroups losses. > >ADIA is the worlds largest sovereign wealth >fundinvestment funds run by states, >particularly the oil-rich states of the Middle >East. The fund has begun investing more actively >in US businesses, while it had previously >concentrated on emerging markets. An >ADIA-related fund recently purchased a >significant portion of the private equity firm, >Carlyle Group, which is closely connected with >the US political establishment. The funds used >to invest are largely recycled >petrodollarssurpluses from the export of oil, >the price of which has risen sharply. > >Fortune magazine writer Peter Eavis, in an >article published November 7 (Does Citi have a >capital crisis?) pointed to some of the >underlying problems confronting the bank. In >particular, Citigroups capital levels have >fallen sharply. Citis tier 1 ratio, a >standard measure of a companys cushion to >absorb losses, was at 7.3 percent of assets at >the end of the third quarter of this year, down >from 8.6 percent at the beginning of 2006. It is >likely that it has continued to fall over the past two months. > >Citigroups tangible capital to tangible >equityconsidered by many analysts to be a more >reliable measure of financial healthhas fallen >to 2.8 percent, from 4.3 percent at start of 2006. > >In addition to the immediate problem associated >with its off-balance-sheet entities, Citigroup >also faces future losses from sharp increases in >defaults on credit cards and other forms of >debt, as the American worker and consumer faces increasingly hard times. > >The troubles faced by Citigroup are linked to >the enormous expansion of speculation by US >banks. This speculation has been encouraged by >the deregulation of the financial sector, >including the repeal of the Depression-era >Glass-Steagall Act in 1999. The repeal, carried >out under the Clinton administration, broke down >the wall between investment and commercial >banking. This made conglomerates such as >Citigroup possible, and encouraged the closer >integration of the banking system with Wall Street. > >The problems facing Citigroup are a more >concentrated expression of problems facing the >entire American banking system. In an article >published in the Financial Times on Tuesday >(Why banking is an accident waiting to >happen), columnist Martin Wolf notes that banks >have devised many ways to get around government >regulations on capitalization ratios. The >result of this ingenuity [on the part of banks] >includes special purpose vehicles, [including >SIVs and the like] hedge funds and even, in some >respects, private equity funds. These are all, >in varying ways, off-balance-sheet banks: ways >to exploit the exceptionally profitable >opportunities (and corresponding risks) created >by high leverage and maturity transformation. > >These mechanisms were the vehicles for making a >great deal of money for a small layer of >executives and investors, profiting off the >parasitic extraction of wealth from the working >population as a whole, including its poorest >sections. The process worked fine as long as the >housing market continued to go up, but as the >market deflates, they are all beginning to unwind. > >-- >Peter Myers, 381 Goodwood Rd, Childers 4660, Australia ph +61 7 41262296 ><http://users.cyberone.com.au/myers>http://users.cyberone.com.au/myers >Mirror: ><http://mailstar.net/index.html>http://mailstar.net/index.html >I use the old Mac OS; being incompatible, it >cannot run Windows viruses or transmit them to >you. If my mail does not arrive, or yours >bounces, please ring me: this helps beat >sabotage. To unsubscribe, reply with >"unsubscribe" in the subject line; allow 1 day. > >======================================================================================================================== ></blockquote></x-html> Don Eichelberger DJ Fix Independent Productions Green Uprising Blog www.greenuprising.blogspot.com My You Tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctRp5rGJoUc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iySwwyZfDgE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r9rK8nPREA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5UbnJ0kUqo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SktIYTyC1U Donny Fix del.icio.us book marks http://del.icio.us/donnyfix The Hegelian/Marxist goal is emancipation. Marx said it best in 1843: "Human emancipation wll only be complete when the real, individual man (sic) is absorbed into himself the abstract citizen; when as an individual man, in his every day life, in his work and in his relationships, he has become a species-being (politically accountabe to the whole); and when he recognizes and realizes his own power as social powers, so that he no longer separates this social power from himself as political power."

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Re: [Sustain] My Piece On Agro-fuels In Beyond Chron
by Eric Brooks 29 Nov '07

29 Nov '07

We need to be really dramatic and big about how we challenge biofuels to shake people out of complacent thinking. If we are too polite and reasonable, readers on the fence will have a tendency to view the conversation as a friendly disagreement between two, nearly equal, valid positions; some sort of judgment call. We must get people to understand that biofuels are a critical emergency, and we are not going to accomplish that with tamed down words. cheers Eric Don Eichelberger wrote: > Eric- > > Great article, overall. Had some problem with some of the rhetoric > which left a vague sense of overstatement. I know it is not an > overstatement, and that is the rub. > > But expressions like, "blindly hooked on a devastating, diseased, > biofuels illusion...(a)nd unwitting starry eyed supporters of it like > Willie Nelson and E. "Doc" Smith are the keystone... writes a smarmy > smiling article...." > > are a bit of a turn-off to me, and i believe, to some of the public, > mostly those who do not want to hear the truth, anyway. > > But I can definitely relate to the frustration, and it is mostly a > great article. > > Definitely worth the read, > > Don > > At 08:26 AM 11/26/2007, you wrote: >> Hi all, >> >> I got a good guest editorial spot for a piece I wrote strongly >> criticising biodiesel and the agro-fuels industry. >> >> See below or: >> http://www.beyondchron.org/articles/Guest_Editorial_The_Terrible_Illusion_o… >> >> >> >> *Guest Editorial: The Terrible Illusion of Biodiesel* >> >> >> >> /by Eric Brooks, 2007-11-26 >> /I read with shocked and tired eyes E. "Doc" Smith's recent glowing >> article <http://www.beyondchron.org/news/index.php?itemid=5132> about >> San Francisco's biodiesel program. As an environmental activist with >> over two decades experience, every time I see an article like this, I >> lose another little bit of precious life and hope. >> >> Smith and others like him, trumpeting the valor of biodiesel and >> other biofuels, need to knock it off immediately. Biodiesel does >> -not- produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions than petroleum diesel, >> in fact it produces more. And the reality gets even worse than that. >> Biodiesel and other biofuels have suddenly become a huge booming >> industry which, because of the the nature of how those fuels are >> produced, is now destroying the planet and human civilization much >> faster than global warming. >> >> This needs to be repeated... The new biofuels boom is -worse- than >> global warming. And unwitting starry eyed supporters of it like >> Willie Nelson and E. "Doc" Smith are the keystone that is helping >> massive multi-national corporations get the planet's increasingly >> environmentally conscious public to become blindly hooked on a >> devastating, diseased, biofuels illusion. >> >> Those of us on the cutting edge of fighting the climate crisis have >> been struggling mightily to get people to wake up from this illusion >> for the last decade and we are beginning to get attention; but not >> nearly fast enough to stop corporations like ADM, Cargill, British >> Petroleum (BP), Monsanto, and many others from ramping up a massive >> explosion in biofuels, bioplastics, and biochemicals production which >> is already visibly and measurably increasing our already serious >> global environmental collapse at an almost exponential rate. >> >> The key problem of perception is french fry oil. When told of how >> some people are now running their cars on used vegetable oils that >> would have been thrown away, environmentally conscious people >> immediately get very excited by the idea. I myself long ago, got very >> excited about it. But then I started thinking about all of the work >> that the environmental movement has done to fight corporate >> monoculture agriculture's devastating impact on the the planet. I >> started to crunch numbers in my head, and I immediately realized that >> biofuels could not possibly be a good thing, and that soon they would >> present the worst environmental disaster we have ever faced. That >> grim realization is now becoming a reality. >> >> The problem is one of sheer scale. The amount of fuel that can be >> produced from recycling used cooking oil is only a tiny fraction of >> the total fuel used every day by diesel automobiles. What this means >> is that projects like San Francisco's waste oils biodiesel program >> will quickly run out of those waste oils long before even a small >> part of San Francisco's fleet of diesel cars, trucks and construction >> equipment is converted to biodiesel. At that point there is only one >> place to get the supposedly magical biodiesel; from massive corporate >> plantations of monocrops grown specifically to produce biodiesel. >> >> In fact, because of European requirements for biofuel use, this is >> already happening. As you read this article, huge amounts of both >> rainforest, and food crop land, are being cleared in order to produce >> automobile fuel crops, most prominently, biodiesel from palm oil. The >> impact is already staggering and is getting worse very rapidly. And >> as rainforest and cropland are being destroyed, some grain food >> prices are skyrocketing both because food crops have been replaced by >> fuel crops and because many former food crops themselves are being >> used to produce fuel -instead- of food. >> >> This process is devastating the global ecosystem and economies in the >> global South; the latter which are already staggering under the >> terrible weight of a global agriculture industry that is eating up >> lands which once produced local food, in order to grow and sell to >> the world market, higher priced export crops. Take one look at the >> world's insane love of the automobile, and at the booming production >> of new automobiles for countries like China, and it is easy to see >> that biofuels are the -ultimate- export crop; which will form the >> foundation of a planet and civilization killing industry, if we allow >> their production to proceed any further. >> >> And as this cropland and rainforest clearing rages forward, the >> process, because it is accompanied by realities like top soil >> disturbance (which releases CO2) and the burning of undesirable trees >> and plant wastes, is creating massively higher CO2 releases than even >> petroleum products produce. For example, biodiesel made from palm oil >> produces -ten- times more global warming gasses than petroleum diesel. >> >> To complete the grim cycle, every time someone like Smith, however >> noble and well intentioned, writes a smarmy smiling article about how >> great and progressive biofuel is, the big ag companies go to >> Congresses and Parliaments all over the world with an even further >> gleefully deceived public as back-up, to get increased subsidies for >> this new devastating biofuels industry. >> >> And biofuel is just the beginning. These companies are now branching >> out into bioplastics, biochemicals, and biopharmaceuticals. Companies >> like BP (with its new 500 million dollar labs at UC Berkeley) are >> literally making plans to manufacture everything we produce now from >> petroleum and natural gas, from plant crops instead. The result of >> such nonsense is easily predictable - a much more rapid planetary >> collapse which will be completed in our own lifetimes. >> >> This insanity must be stopped immediately, and the first step is to >> stop painting glowing images of biofuels and start painting the >> accurate, Bosch like nightmare panorama, of biofuels as a disaster, >> which is now eating our planet alive, faster than global warming. >> >> To start getting a sense of the nature and scale of this problem, I >> recommend reading a couple of articles by science writer and >> environmental activist George Monbiot at, >> http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2005/12/06/worse-than-fossil-fuel/ >> and http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2007/03/27/a-lethal-solution/ >> / >> Eric Brooks is Co-Chair of the San Francisco Green Party >> Sustainability Working Group./ >> >> >> -- >> "I am not a liberator. Liberators do not exist. The people liberate >> themselves." -- Che >> Guevara >> _______________________________________________ >> Sustainability mailing list >> Sustainability(a)sfgreens.org >> https://list.sfgreens.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/sustainability > > > Don Eichelberger > DJ Fix Independent Productions > > Green Uprising Blog > www.greenuprising.blogspot.com > > <http://www.greenuprising.blogspot.com/>My You Tube > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctRp5rGJoUc > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iySwwyZfDgE > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r9rK8nPREA > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5UbnJ0kUqo > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SktIYTyC1U > > Donny Fix del.icio.us book marks > http://del.icio.us/donnyfix > > The Hegelian/Marxist goal is emancipation. Marx said it best in 1843: > > "Human emancipation wll only be complete when the real, individual man > (sic) is absorbed into himself the abstract citizen; when as an > individual man, in his every day life, in his work and in his > relationships, he has become a /species-being/ (*politically > accountabe to the whole*); and when he recognizes and realizes his own > power as /social/ powers, so that he no longer separates this > /socia/l power from himself as /political /power." > -- "I am not a liberator. Liberators do not exist. The people liberate themselves." -- Che Guevara

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