Naomi Klein is author of one of the most fascinating pieces I’ve ever read, “Baghdad Year Zero,” in which she talked about her theory of “shock doctrine” and the rise of “disaster capitalism,” which she later turned into a book.
At its core, as she describes in a new piece in The Nation, disaster capitalism is “today’s […]

No ice at the North Pole this summer?:
It seems unthinkable, but for the first time in human history, ice is on course to disappear entirely from the North Pole this year.
The disappearance of the Arctic sea ice, making it possible to reach the Pole sailing in a boat through open water, would be one of […]

Well, whaddya know.
WASHINGTON — Evidence is strong that the increasing frequency of extreme rain, heat, drought and tropical storms is caused by global climate change, according to a report released Thursday by a panel of government scientists.
You don’t say.
And human activity probably is the reason, according to the report from the U.S. Climate Change Science […]

I always read Kuntsler when I need to feel more depressed than I already am. He doesn’t disappoint this week:
These are not your daddy’s or granddaddy’s floods. These are 500-year floods, events not seen before non-Indian people starting living out on that stretch of the North American prairie. The vast majority of home-owners in Eastern […]

Creepy. In line with the record flooding in the Midwest, and all the tornadoes, ABC News asks some top scientists - are we living in the last century of civilization?:
Experts say that extreme changes in climate, combined with dwindling resources, famine, war and disease have the potential to create a post-apocalyptic world in less than […]

Because I play guitar and often - or at least, too often for my wife - buy guitar-related things, I get several catalogs from music retailers. Basically, you buy one thing from these companies and you’re on their mailing list forever, as they hope you buy some more.

Gas prices hit a record at the pump Monday, - averaging $3.073 per gallon nationwide, eclipsing the post-Katrina record. Futures fell, but that’s of little comfort now.
When the history of this era is written, Our Leader’s miniscule approval rating will be tied specifically to two factors - the war in Iraq, and the inexorable rise […]

This is pretty much why I think the idea of global warming is beginning to get more and more traction:
Nature’s fury made life miserable Wednesday from one end of the nation to the other, with people forced out of their homes by wildfires near both coasts and the Canadian border and by major flooding in […]