Crop failure by 2030!?….oops, try 2022.
Unprecedented drought and unheard of global temperatures right now. Massive crop failures worldwide, and more just not being planted for lack of water.
We aren’t on the road to global catastrophe, we are knee deep in one. Thousands if not tens of thousands will die This week in Europe as a direct result of human caused climate change. Over 1500 died in Spain and 1000 in Portugal from heat just in this one event, over 4200 across Europe….so far. Crop losses will multiply that exponentially.
We are on the downhill ride into mass extinction and we already ripped our brakes out and pulled the steering wheel off and are arguing over how hard to stomp on the accelerator.
If the ecological cost of burning gasoline was included in the price, it would be well over $10.

At least we know the chickens in Europe/UK's KFC are free range, unlike the far more dubious US's.

Um, I notice their data ends in 2012 - 2015, while CCD was just becoming a serious issue. My last 3 hives had CCD.
Can bees be repopulated, yes, by splitting remaining hives and ramping up distribution channels, but that’s not sustainable and lowers the hive production to dangerously low levels. Hives can produce honey or new bees, but not both in large quantities.
Also, it’s an expensive proposition, rehiving. A nuc costs $200, a new clean hive another $250+- with a near 50% chance it won’t survive each year, it’s an expensive hobby and a real loss when they go down. Eventually people will give up trying in large quantities, then what?
And, as mentioned, wild bees pollinate most plants, and no one is working hard and making money producing large quantities of wild bee hives.

Over the last decade, the numbers have changed. There has been a severe decline in domestic bee population while demand has risen. Also, the commercial hives left often have been split many times, meaning 20000 is a far more normal population of a hive than 80000, and clearly does less pollinating, less honey production, and less new bee production.

It doesn’t have to be an either or choice, I’ve had beehives and fostered wild bee habitat at the same time. I have 30 fruit trees, I need all the bees I can get to visit.

I think the real answer to why you don’t hear about it as much lately is 1) War in Europe and 2) Coup in America, both of which dominate any news reports.

It dropped precipitously because Elon was buying Twitter and would have to sell billions of stock to pay for it, just to name one self inflicted wound. The economic state should benefit Tesla, as you say, with gas at $5 and rising, ev’s are in high demand.

Gas in Canada is $6.75 US. UK is $5.75 in usd. Europe is around $5.25. But sure, it’s all Biden’s fault. Meanwhile my Exon, BP, and energy mutual funds are reporting record profits….but there’s no correlation. Hmmm.

I guess you didn’t hear Elon decided to cut his workforce by 10% anticipating a slump in sales. Elon doesn’t share your optimism.

Isn’t his major production hurdle a worldwide chip shortage, which he can do nothing about? Not sure how he’s going to ramp up production without more chips.

China isn’t the only economy in trouble….where is this unsold production supposed to go? Europe?…in trouble. US?… looking like we’re in trouble and a logistics nightmare. How much does shipping add to the price too? $5k? More?

All car manufacturers raised prices multiple times last year significantly, they all have a shortage of chips. I think it’s more likely he raised prices because he could without slowing down sales, not in order to slow sales.

Granted, ev’s are in high demand, but the big 3 are ramping up production and will outbuild Tesla in short order, as are European and Asian companies. He’s done great without competition, but some real competition is coming. The electric F150 is going to produce around 15000 this year with over 120000 (edit now 200000) reservations. They built a billion dollar factory for it alone, it will be the best selling full sized ev truck as soon as production starts. They also won’t have a chip constraint because they can take them from their huge f-150 supplies to meet production estimates.

If you want Tesla stock it’s not the worst time to invest, that was last November, but I certainly wouldn’t go all in. The PE ratio is still near 100….GAWD AWFUL. That’s called a speculative bubble….they pop. Ask Twitter.


Sorry about your dad. Mine died when I was 21. It’s never easy.

@newtboy,

There's a danger here of having an actual nuanced discussion on Israel/Palestine happening here if we aren't careful...

I agree with your point of difference on illegal immigrants in the US largely not having a plan for 'independence' in their back pocket. The soft equivalence that the right wingers would point to though would be immigrant settling into small area such that they can setup a virtual community without ever needing to learn local languages and pushing hard to keep their 'own' values and way of life. I don't agree with the "Learn English" rednecks or the ones shouting how folks need to act American, but there is at least a soft parallel. virtually the only thing South Park has ever been censored on was depicting the prophet, and that 100% read as fear of violent retaliation, which isn't nothing.

I also think you hit the bigger point on how broken systems of immigration are. Particularly when domestic politics and the situation for legal immigration to refugees is grossly inadequate. I think America today though is just a much more mild example of it than the 30/40s in Palestine. For all the complaints one can level at Zionism, it's very hard to condemn them for encouraging mass emigration out of Europe. It's also clear that waiting on legal immigration routes out wasn't going to get people out fast enough. Thus I really look carefully at any anti-zionist position that includes condemning jewish 'illegal' immigration at the time. It treads dangerously close to saying they should have accepted the alternative, which was by and large remaining in Europe...

@newtboy,

I have to ask your stance on illegal aliens within the USA today in that case, since you seem to use it as a derogative against 1930/40s Jewish refugees fleeing Europe for Palestine...

Feels to me the confederate flag wavers stance on illegal immigrants in the US parallels the picture you're painting of 1930s/40s Palestinian immigration closer than you maybe like to admit.

okay...you did offer some sources. couple of them reliable and one wouldn't line the cat box with.

did read the surgery was in '88, and webmd article basically said no worries.

so what was the point? what was at the end of that labyrinth?

dirty shame about the world hating americans.

damn.

odd, that...just got through a piece that questioned the stereotype of 'ugly americans' in europe. many europeans found other europeans more objectionable (russians came up often).

have met with a LOT of people from around the world. some here and some on travels...most seemed okay w/my presence. going to put that alongside the daily news source. [might be right about those saudis that threw rocks at us...but that was a misunderstanding]

...and traveling along w/mom...spent more time in strangers' homes than museums.

*ahem* maybe it's more the person than the people. [found that everywhere]

The answer was about Musk’s comment in regards to his assessment of the US economy contrasted by the numerous similar companies taking a completely opposite position and investing rather than downsizing. Too difficult a concept without pictures?

Maybe google WHEN he had those aneurysms…he’s proven himself quite capable and thoroughly unimpaired in the 34 years since he was successfully treated. Derp. Who’s the moron again?

Are you unaware of the stupid hateful far right tribal bs infiltrating Europe and elsewhere? It’s not an American monopoly.

I don't believe this was ever about taking Ukraine with the Russian military. I believe this is about destroying Ukraine and squeezing Europe's energy-dependent balls until the EU cracks under the economic pressure caused by the sanctions. This is already happening with Germany whimpering to Daddy Vladdy for all that precious, precious oil and gas. "Oh, we gave Zelensky a billion euros!"; yeah, and you gave Putin 25x that in oil/gas purchases.

The mealy-mouthing and dissembling has already begun, most shamefully from the New York Times, who is calling for Ukraine to make "hard choices". "This isn't capitulation" -- fuck you NYT, yes it is.

I had honest hopes that the western powers would show some spine and resolve, but as soon at their economies started to feel a little pain, the number of fucks given for Ukrainian lives went to zero. Russian is going to rape and murder its way from Odessa to the Belarus border until the western powers figure out some way to make it all Zelensky's fault or force him to cede massive amounts of Ukrainian territory before any real economic pain felt.

The worst part is that Finland and Sweden are going to be granted NATO membership, but Ukraine still is denied. Why are these two the hills NATO is willing to die on and Ukraine not? If NATO isn't willing to risk nuclear war over Ukraine, what happens when the tip of a single Russian boot touches Finnish soil? What happens when Finland then calls for Article 5 and the rest of NATO suddenly realizes shit just got real? What happens when it's time to shit or get off the pot; put up or shut up? Either NATO charges into the teeth of a potential nuclear war, or NATO is shown to be a paper tiger. If someone sees a middle ground, I'm interested in hearing it.

(Incidentally, NATO's Article 5 is pretty porous. A-5 doesn't say every NATO nation commits whatever forces are deemed necessary by the whole to defend against an aggressor. Instead, it says that in the event of A-5 coming into play, each member will take "such action as [the member state] deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area."

Notice the whole 'each member' and 'deems necessary'? Yeah, to quote a popular movie 'I don't think this mutual defense pact means what you think it does'.)

If you haven't seen it , this doc may interest you.

"Ukraine on Fire"

Across its eastern border is Russia and to its west-Europe. For centuries, it has been at the center of a tug-of-war between powers seeking to control its rich lands and access to the Black Sea. 2014's Maidan Massacre triggered a bloody uprising that ousted president Viktor Yanukovych and painted Russia as the perpetrator by Western media. But was it? "Ukraine on Fire" by Igor Lopatonok provides a historical perspective for the deep divisions in the region which lead to the 2004 Orange Revolution, 2014 uprisings, and the violent overthrow of democratically elected Yanukovych. Covered by Western media as a people's revolution, it was in fact a coup d'état scripted and staged by nationalist groups and the U.S. State Department. Investigative journalist Robert Parry reveals how U.S.-funded political NGOs and media companies have emerged since the 80s replacing the CIA in promoting America's geopolitical agenda abroad.

Can watch here if interested https://youtu.be/fCWBRg6_VsM

Similar to his answer to the question..”do you think this (Putin invading Ukraine) is evil.”

Trump “I think in 100 years people are going to look back and they’re going to say “how did we stand back and nato stand back” which in many ways I’ve called a paper tiger don’t forget I rebuilt nato because when I became president the first thing I noticed when I went there to the first meeting was that most of the countries were not paying or were paying far less than they were supposed to. There were only 8 out of 28 countries that were paid in full the United States was not only one of them, we were making up the deficits in order to protect Europe. We were paying POSSIBLY 80% of nato to protect them and then they take advantage of us yet on trade because on trade they’re every bit as bad as Gina. They treated us very badly on trade. We changed a lot of that around but they were very tough on trade I asked, Angela Merkel how many chevrolets are you selling this month in Munich or Berlin, and she looked at me and said “well probably none” I said you’re exactly right, none and yet we had the Mercedes Benz and the Volkswagens and all of them. We had all of the German companies, and the same thing with farmers, our farmers sell virtually nothing to Europe, you take a look at what we sell and yet we take their product.
They treated us very badly in trade and we defended them and we really if you look at the real numbers I bet you it’s close to 80% and I said “you have to pay and if you don’t pay we’re not going to defend you, and it’s one way or the other I knew Putin very well…almost as well as I know you, Sean, and I will tell you, we talked about it. We talked about it a lot. He did want Ukraine but I said “you’re not going into Ukraine”. He would never ever have gone into Ukraine and President Xi of Gina would never have even thought about going into Taiwan ..not doing windmills because they’re killing eagles. They’re killing the bald eagles and other eagles and other birds and we have these windmills all over the place and the environmentalists pretend they love them, but they’re really hurting our country they’re driving down values, they’re just absolutely killing us it’s one of the most expensive forms of energy…the turbines are all made in Gina or Germany, so they get the advantage of that….it’s…uh…just ridiculous but the real problem…”

Again, the question was “Do you think this (referring to the Russian invasion) is evil?”
This is the second interview where Hannity asked him that very question and he completely ignored it to ramble nonsensically.

Just as rambling, disjointed, fact free, casting blame, flattering himself, and completely ignoring the question because he cannot say anything rational, certainly nothing remotely against Putin or the pee tape goes public….or something worse.

@bobknight33…this is you guy? This is want you want? Mr stream of consciousness word salad spewing Trump? My 97 year old grandmother could still think and talk circles around him with her teeth out … and she’s been dead for 8 years.

This rising gas prices must be happening ONLY IN THE U S of A because of Biden! My country (Canada), Europe and other places must have gas cheaper than tap water!

Idiot.

What’s he mean “young people”? I’m 50, I’ve felt that way since 1990 because I pay attention. We are addicts, addicts use until they die, they don’t quit because their health suffers.

At 3 degrees some developing countries won’t be able to feed their population!?! WTF?! That was the case before any climate changes, dummy. It’s bad now. It will be apocalyptic relatively soon…like decades, not centuries.

WILL cause trillions in damage!?….guess again, already happened. It WILL cause tens of trillions in damage per year, eventually outpacing global gdp.

What scientists are he counting when he says “most agree” we won’t see this kind of future? Certainly not climate scientists, they agree it’s happening, and none see it even slowing, much less getting better. From what I saw, they just went on strike because they’re sick of being ignored.

Leveled off, eh? Look at your own graph to see that China’s coal consumption went up by 5000 twh equivalents since 2010, and is insanely massive…it went up by more than the US used at its highest levels (in his timeline). But he calls that “leveled off”. Who is this guy? He’s insane or lying through his teeth.

Solar and wind have been better than coal economically for decades, but we haven’t switched over, have we?

Where does he get his statistics, because every time I see real numbers we’ve only slowed our increased emissions by 4%, we have not actually reduced them….like saying Obama reduced the military budget because he didn’t increase it as much as previous administrations. It’s asinine.

India isn’t building trillions in solar, they’re building fossil fuel power plants and hydro electric, also disastrous for the environment….and useless after their glaciers fail.

The CO2 in the atmosphere will be there for 300-1000 years, carbon capture is a ridiculous pipe dream that completely ignores the scope of the problem. Methalhydrate is already destabilized, and it’s 25 times as potent as CO2. The total global amount of methane carbon bound up in these hydrate deposits is in the order of 1000 to 5000 gigatonnes – i.e. about 100 to 500 times more carbon than is released annually into the atmosphere by the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas). It’s melting now faster every day, and will surpass human carbon emissions.

None of his “requirements” are happening. What we need is less people….like 90% less.

Progress is being made, minor progress in small amounts on tiny scales…so are increases in emissions but on massive scales and unfathomable amounts….emissions that needed to be at zero decades ago to save civilization as we know it. Climate refugees exist today in huge numbers, think how difficult 1 million Syrians were for Europe to absorb, now multiply by 2000 or more when all equatorial nations become uninhabitable. Where will we grow food with refugees covering every bit of land? Get real.

He admits that stopping warming below 1.5 degrees is impossible, and 3 degrees before 2021 likely (many say by 2050). Did he forget that 1.5 degrees warming is where we lose control and feedback loops make our emissions moot?

Do you even science, dude?

He gave me zero hope, because I know most of his pie in the sky “hope” is utterly ridiculous and runs contrary to reality and human nature. I wanted some good news, I got pablum.
Booo Kurzgesagt. Try being honest and not ignoring the facts, please. BOOOOO!

Constant unAmerican, anti democratic, Russian propaganda.
Do you know how many flags have flown over the US in that time? To name just a few….French, British, Spanish, Mexican, Every state (before their statehood), dozens of different US flags (changed every time a state was added), hundreds of indigenous nations, even Canada. Remember 6 flags over Texas? Does that make Texas less part of America? I guess Mexico should take it back. No need to defend it I suppose.
What idiocy. Jesus, bob.

I recall how happy you were when we assassinated an Iranian general in an unprovoked act of war against a Russian backed country, so why was starting a war fine with you but keeping our clear obligations agreed on by an international nuclear disarmament treaty is bad? *crickets*

I’m not saying you are definitely a Russian America hating troll, I’m just saying there wouldn’t be a single letter changed in anything you post if you are, and there’s not one shred of evidence that you aren’t one.

Love the way you want to walk away from our treaty too….so no country will ever negotiate based on a promise by America to defend them. Ukraine would still have nukes if we hadn’t agreed to permanently secure their borders, and Putin would never have invaded a nuclear nation.

At every opportunity you are anti democracy, Bob. You’re so blind you don’t see how that makes you look. I thought you hated socialism and communism….so why do you support it being forced on others?

🤦‍♂️

Edit: have you been listening to super racist failed diplomatic appointee and Fox “invasion expert” Douglas MacGregor, a Trump appointed Russia Propagandist on Fox who’s suggesting Russia should be more aggressive, borders should just be redrawn (without Ukraine), Zelinski is a terrorist, and claims people in the west and Europe and China all support Russian expansion? Sure sounds like it.

We are not hoping Putin will reverse his course, we are hoping (rich elite and military) Russians will decide they would be better offf without war and threatening to destroy the world.

Switching of SWIFT is not a total ban on transactions but is very annoying for russians.

Dependency of Europe on Russian oil and gas is a direct security danger, they do use it to extort (and bribe - see Mr. Schroeder) the west.

China gets paid mostly in dollars, it would be a pain for China to use anything else to buy oil and gas. But nothing is ever certain forever.

Russia will need dollars in any form, even if they have to be black market dolars so they will gladly take Chinese payments in dollars. Also their stock market and currency is... f***ed.