Major storms could submerge New York City in next decade
Sea-level rise due to climate change could cripple the city in Irene-like storm scenarios, new climate report claims
Corrected again after Julie removed the link when attempting to change the link text from “Guardian article”.
Julie – go read the WordPress support pages, they are very helpful.
Bearsy
Why have the banks not been forced to pay bay back their bail-outs before paying themselves bonuses, as if the financial crisis had never happened?
In December 2009 the official cost of the bank bailout was declared to be £850 billion.
Meanwhile bankers’ bonuses have been predicted to run to billions in 2011
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12131092
Royal Bank of Scotland predict £1bn in bonuses this year, and they paid out £1.3bn in bonuses last year, while Barclays paid £5bn-£6bn in total remuneration.
Even where bonuses have been cut, financial sector salaries have risen by up to 40%.
Why are we letting them get away with this? Why isn’t there a public outcry?
“In an environment of cuts across the wider public sector, we face a period where disaffection, social and industrial tensions may well rise.”
Chief Superintendent Derek Barnett to the annual police superintendents’ conference, September 2010
These riots were a disaster waiting to happen. The government knew full well they were taking a gamble on the way they have treated the lowest stratum of society. Through brutal cuts in public spending they have been made to take the brunt of the financial sector’s astoundingly bad performance, yet bankers continue to pay themselves £billions in bonuses.
Meanwhile the relationship between young black people and the police deteriorates. Mark Duggan’s death is yet another in a long line (at least 333) deaths in police custody, yet not a single police officer has been convicted for a death-in-custody incident.
Is it really any wonder these young people feel angry, disenfranchised, have nothing left to lose?
You can put the lid on a boiling pot but unless you deal with the fire underneath, you are going to get an explosion.
My congratulations go to the Scottish National Party who won an outright majority in the elections last week. I would probably not have voted for them myself but I am optimistic and wish them all the best.
What would you do if two gangs of thugs had a fight on a beach in Hastings?
A continuation of Cuprum’s discussion.
As I have already said, I would keep the monarchy, albeit in a much-diminished form, because I prefer it, however bumbling, to some self-promoted megalomaniac.
But as some of you have complained that no-one has laid out the arguments for abolishing the monarchy, I have quickly cobbled them together for you. Read more…
The discussion about public funding and its history got me delving into the literature. I thought Boadicea, Zen, and the other participants might be interested in this.
Basically it says the perceived need for public health, and sanitation in particular, was driven by the economic benefits of having a healthy workforce
http://www.lboro.ac.uk/well/resources/Publications/Briefing%20Notes/BN%20Learning.htm
O Zangado has not appeared for a few days. Last we heard he had bad lupine flu. Has he become too ill to blog?
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