tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post7284446751894947877..comments2024-03-27T09:14:27.496+00:00Comments on All That Is Solid ...: Branch Meeting: Socialism and EcologismPhilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06298147857234479278noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-49593373467770803512010-02-10T14:15:12.229+00:002010-02-10T14:15:12.229+00:00The picture above is the PSOE'S logo. PSOE is ...The picture above is the PSOE'S logo. PSOE is the Spanish Socialist Worker Party. Its not green by tradition, although actually its agree with limiting nuclear power and support renewables energies... This old logo and party are modern!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-70184373570033886912008-05-23T17:43:00.000+01:002008-05-23T17:43:00.000+01:00They chose not to tax the oil so as a result their...They chose not to tax the oil so as a result their efforts to renew/modify/create infrastructures is going to be tremendous. This is why the US is so dependant on oil compared to any other country in the world (besides the role of the dollar).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-51049005921454964922008-05-23T12:29:00.000+01:002008-05-23T12:29:00.000+01:00Always happy to amuse, Steven.I know the USA's inf...Always happy to amuse, Steven.<BR/><BR/>I know the USA's infrastructure is rickety to say the least, but I didn't know it required that level of investment to make things right! What a stunning indictment of capitalism in its key heartland.Philhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06298147857234479278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-51467702285372151502008-05-22T09:10:00.000+01:002008-05-22T09:10:00.000+01:00You make me laugh Phil, in a good way. Gotta go to...You make me laugh Phil, in a good way. Gotta go to bed coz it's late here.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-52453766585232293352008-05-22T07:49:00.000+01:002008-05-22T07:49:00.000+01:00Costs to renew the infrastructures in the US: 1 tr...Costs to renew the infrastructures in the US: 1 trillion dollars, it's mission impossible.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-9657274283203209552008-05-21T22:42:00.000+01:002008-05-21T22:42:00.000+01:00Again, that's because it's unthinkable from within...Again, that's because it's unthinkable from within the neoliberal consensus. There is no lack of wealth in the US - it is after all the richest nation on the planet! It has to be fought for, which of course is easier said than done - especially where the US concerned.Philhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06298147857234479278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-21929857333314044422008-05-21T21:07:00.000+01:002008-05-21T21:07:00.000+01:00Not in the US. The cities are running out of money...Not in the US. The cities are running out of money to invest or renew their infrastructures.<BR/>In the US if you want to get public transportations or hospitals, you have to buy municipal bonds first; and it is the mortgage crisis that has been affecting these bonds, making it harder for a city to adapt itself to this new evolving world. If it happens, it won't happen from one day to the next, it's going to take some time, and in major cities, they'll have to rebuild from scratch the infrastructure. In Houston for example, they've been rebuilding everything the last couple of years, with new highways, more tracks, more bridges, but nothing has been done to improve the public transportations.<BR/>It seems like it's not even a priority in this city.<BR/>As we say "just wait and see what happens" :)steven rixhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18154964357134050639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-38815739586105426142008-05-21T20:14:00.000+01:002008-05-21T20:14:00.000+01:00I'm in firm agreement with Jim. I remain very impr...I'm in firm agreement with Jim. I remain very impressed with the SSP's policy on free public transport - you can view it <A HREF="http://www.scottishsocialistparty.org/transport/index.html" REL="nofollow">here</A>, and it's only impossible from the standpoint of the neoliberal consensus. If we want it, we're going to have to struggle for it.Philhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06298147857234479278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-17951959086357881692008-05-21T18:58:00.000+01:002008-05-21T18:58:00.000+01:00In the US people drive on average around 1 hr 30 m...In the US people drive on average around 1 hr 30 minutes to go back and forth to their work. It's the architecture of urbanization that pushed Americans to live farther from their work, looking for cheaper cities (we call them exurbans).<BR/>It was fine in the 90s; while gas price was cheap, they looked for bigger SUVs, and now they can't afford to pay anymore. As a result houses are going into foreclosure because some people are spending $750 a month on gas.<BR/>I don't know how we could fix this mess. I know that I don't use my car and I prefer riding my bike whenever it is possible :) But it also depend where you live. When I was in Vegas, and temperatures were like +100 degrees, I was stuck for 6 months. I also tried the public transportations and they suck: 3 hours to drive 15 miles in Vegas when buses don't break down in the heat(it happens alot).<BR/><BR/>I just looked at the oil price for today and it's at $132 a barrel already... Holy molly.steven rixhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18154964357134050639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-86595646203674854382008-05-21T14:03:00.000+01:002008-05-21T14:03:00.000+01:00But surely the issue is that being stuck in never ...But surely the issue is that being stuck in never ending traffic isn't a good quality of life and is very damaging to the planet. <BR/><BR/>We can have our cake and eat it - but it requires massive investment in the public transport system and a restructuring of the way we do work and leisure - we can be better off and reduce our carbon emissions it's a false choice to say people have to make a sacrifice on this.<BR/><BR/>For instance, if you cycle rather than drive to work you will live longer, and be healthier / happier - plus its cheaper!Jim Jeppshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17410387006098326671noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-79830166815772078382008-05-20T19:14:00.000+01:002008-05-20T19:14:00.000+01:00I've read a global study to find out if people wer...I've read a global study to find out if people were reading to cut their living standards to improve global warming and some major cities are completely reluctant to this; the 1st one is Tokyo, followed by NYC, the ones who said they are okay to do that are Paris and Naples.<BR/>In Texas, people are completely opposed to this. In Houston 95% of people driving cars did not change their habits, and we can't really blame them, the transportation system is horrible, and in some areas in the city, you can't even find pavements for the pedestrians. Everything has been urbanized here in function of the cars first. <BR/><BR/>For the numbers of cars in the US, I don't know if it's a good one, at least it can give you an idea of the herculean force that needs to be accomplished if we want to keep things smooth. <BR/>In average people are 24 pounds bigger today than their predecessors in the 70s. It means that the situation is not completely new, it's an indicator that the economy has been bad since the 80s. In the US people with low wages tend to eat more burgers because they are cheap (99 cents) and it saves money. So high food prices won't change the situation, there will be more people eating more burgers and therefore they will consume more gas on the road because they'll get fatter. We could have saved billions of liters in 1 year if people wanted to make "physical" and "mental" efforts, although it would have not changed the situation drastically, it would have not been that bad either.<BR/><BR/>In the US we have not been prepared for the crisis. While Europe switched its dependency in the 70s, there has not been any innovation here. We still produce electricity with coal, we did not improve the efficiency of public transportation, in the long run, it is going to be harder for us to make a transition. While things can't change for one day to the next, it is going to take us a couple of decades to do the sacrifices we could have done a long time ago.<BR/>I do see huge differences in our living standards in only the last couple of months: food prices are too high, gas prices are beyond madness, inflation is rampant, and home foreclosures are a mess (in FL, AZ, CA, NV, CO)steven rixhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18154964357134050639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-11093112749248914542008-05-20T14:56:00.000+01:002008-05-20T14:56:00.000+01:00So we structure things in a new way. The number of...So we structure things in a new way. The number of cars on the road is not set - the amount of resources isn't fixed in stone.<BR/><BR/>I personally believe we can improve the standard of living and reduce our carbon footprint, although, I am pessimistic as to whether we will.Jim Jeppshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17410387006098326671noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-27433201537073239792008-05-19T20:05:00.000+01:002008-05-19T20:05:00.000+01:00I was looking at the red rose of the Socialist Par...I was looking at the red rose of the Socialist Party.<BR/>The logo of the french socialist party is almost the same, the rose in the right hand except you can see the whole thumb. Here is the picture @<BR/>http://accel22.mettre-put-idata.over-blog.com/1/05/92/04/Bannieres/parti-socialiste-rose-logo.jpg<BR/><BR/><BR/>Check this out: why capitalism will destroy the Earth unless we destroy capitalism:<BR/>http://shout.lbo-talk.org/lbo/RadioArchive/2008/08_05_03.mp3<BR/><BR/>I don't think we are going to run out of oxygen (yet). For sure we are running out of oil and food here in the US, and we'll eventually run out of pure water (25% come from the mountains I believe) within the next decades.<BR/>I've been trying to calculate what it would take to switch from oil to ethanol, and it seems like it's not feasable. For England to fuel the whole number of cars, I beleive it would take an area the size of Wales. So for the case of the US, in order to feed 350 million cars, without taking into account the desertic lands, it's just nonesense, and ethanol is not the problem solver. We just shoot ourselves in the toe and we created another crisis, and this one is a global food crisis.steven rixhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18154964357134050639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-37487312389124736042008-05-19T18:12:00.000+01:002008-05-19T18:12:00.000+01:00Many people are far more pessimistic than this. T...Many people are far more pessimistic than this. They believe it's already too late, and the tipping point into extinction of all our food supplies, as well as our oxygen, is coming within our lifetimes.<BR/><BR/>Being of nordic descent, pessimism is in my genes too.<BR/><BR/>Love, C.Foxessahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06754083123669916994noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-1295763318475253762008-05-19T17:11:00.000+01:002008-05-19T17:11:00.000+01:00Interesting post. I think this is an area we will ...Interesting post. I think this is an area we will need to explore on a constant basis over the next decade or so.Jim Jeppshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17410387006098326671noreply@blogger.com