Global Extinction, Dirty Laundry, Karl Rove, U.S. Empire

Global Extinction Worse Than Thought

Species are dying out at a rate not seen since the demise of the dinosaurs, according to a report published today – and human behaviour is to blame. Emily Dugan counts the cost. The world’s species are declining at a rate “unprecedented since the extinction of the dinosaurs”, a census of the animal kingdom has revealed. The Living Planet Index out today shows the devastating impact of humanity as biodiversity has plummeted by almost a third in the 35 years to 2005.

The report, produced by World Wildlife Fund, the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and the Global Footprint Network, says land species have declined by 25 per cent, marine life by 28 per cent, and freshwater species by 29 per cent. Scientists say the current extinction rate is now up to 10,000 times faster than what has historically been recorded as normal.

As nations meet for the Convention on Biological Diversity in Bonn, these alarming figures will cast a shadow over government pledges to make a “significant” reduction in biodiversity loss by 2010. In fact, the report’s authors say that global inaction has already made such a goal totally unattainable.

“It’s very damning for the governments that are party to the convention that they are not able to meet the target they set for themselves,” said Mr Loh. “The talk doesn’t get translated into action. We are failing, and the consequences will be devastating.”

Tracking nearly 4,000 species between 1970 and 2005, the team has not only revealed the destruction of the Earth’s wildlife, but also pointed the finger at the perpetrators of this devastation. Ben Collen, extinctions researcher at ZSL, said: “Between 1960 and 2000, the human population of the world has doubled. Yet during the same period, the animal populations have declined by 30 per cent. It’s beyond doubt that this decline has been caused by humans.”

The study picked out five reasons for species decline, all of which can be traced back to human behaviour: climate change, pollution, the destruction of animals’ natural habitat, the spread of invasive species, and the overexploitation of species. At a time when America has finally added the polar bear to the endangered species list, it is emerging that the scale of species destruction reaches far beyond the headline animals. But as in the case of the polar bear, mankind’s behaviour needs to be radically changed in order to stop this pillaging of the Earth’s biodiversity.

Credit: Independent.co.uk

Dirty Laundry

In the midst of the global environmental crisis, the US is the single largest contributor to global warming. We need to start doing the little things to save the planet…like hanging our laundry. this is one of the cultural differences I’ve noticed as an American living abroad in Spain and it inspired to make this short.

But some people are so incredibly self-involved and pampered that they could give a rat’s ass. Take this little treasure named “Tori” who writes:

umm you’ve got to be kidding me. as if
there is just NO way i’m hanging my clothes to dry so long as i have a dryer or money for one

excuse me while i run downstairs to put some more laundry into my supersized dryer

She’s kidding, right? Right? Tell me she’s kidding.

FUCKING ARREST KARL ROVE!

More than seven years too late, it appears as if a growing number of congresspersons are realizing that they are part of a co-equal branch of government. After allowing their institution to be disrespected and at times ignored by the executive branch, top officials in Congress are finally expressing a willingness to use their full power under the Constitution to rein in an out-of-control administration.

The current target: Karl Rove.

Rove has been asked by the House Judiciary Committee to testify about his involvement in the Justice Department’s prosecution and imprisonment of former Alabama Governor Don Siegleman. As Rove has so far refused to testify voluntarily, members of Congress have started sending signals that they are prepared to go to the mattresses over this.

Yesterday, Rep. Robert Wexler sent out a strongly worded E-mail advocating the use of “inherent contempt” against Rove, which would allow the House Sergeant-of-Arms to forcibly bring Rove to the House to testify.

Also yesterday, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers alluded to the use of inherent contempt. “We’ll do what any self-respecting committee would do,” Conyers said. “We’d hold him in contempt. Either that or go and have him arrested.”

It is time for all of us to let our representatives know that we support this forceful action. That is why I just sent an E-mail to my representative through the American Freedom Campaign Web site. I hope that you will join me. To do so, just use the following link to get started:

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2165/t/1027/campai…

Together, we can restore balance in our system of checks and balances.

Thanks for taking action.

737 U.S. Military Bases = Global Empire

For maps, see

U.S. Military Troops and Bases Around the World

Global U.S. Military Presence (pdf)

With more than 2,500,000 U.S. personnel serving across the planet and military bases spread across each continent, it’s time to face up to the fact that our American democracy has spawned a global empire.

The following is excerpted from Chalmers Johnson’s new book, “Nemesis: The Last Days of the American Republic” (Metropolitan Books).

“The total of America’s military bases in other people’s countries in 2005, according to official sources, was 737. Reflecting massive deployments to Iraq and the pursuit of President Bush’s strategy of preemptive war, the trend line for numbers of overseas bases continues to go up.

Interestingly enough, the thirty-eight large and medium-sized American facilities spread around the globe in 2005 — mostly air and naval bases for our bombers and fleets — almost exactly equals Britain’s thirty-six naval bases and army garrisons at its imperial zenith in 1898. The Roman Empire at its height in 117 AD required thirty-seven major bases to police its realm from Britannia to Egypt, from Hispania to Armenia. Perhaps the optimum number of major citadels and fortresses for an imperialist aspiring to dominate the world is somewhere between thirty-five and forty.”

See:

Exeprt from Chalmers Johnson’s book Nemesis: The Last Days of the American Republic

Chalmers Johnson interview