Our Future in Cement: Exponential Overshoot Series #1

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Friday October 26, 2007 · 9:21 AM PDT

2007/10/26 · 09:21

From today's NYT:

But making cement means making pollution, in the form of carbon dioxide emissions. Cement plants account for 5 percent of global emissions of carbon dioxide, the main cause of global warming. Cement has no viable recycling potential; each new road, each new building needs new cement.

In places like Ukraine, production is doubling every four years.

Now, green incentives may be increasing pollution. The European Union subsidizes Western companies that buy outmoded cement plants in poor countries and refit them with green technology. But the greenest technologies can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by only about 20 percent.

So when Western companies revamp Eastern factories, the emissions decrease for each ton of concrete produced. But the amount of cement produced often goes way up, as does the total pollution generated.

Akonitum

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Thursday October 04, 2007 · 6:54 PM PDT

2007/10/04 · 18:54

"...It is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country." -- Hermann Goering

"Moral cowardice that keeps us from speaking our minds is as dangerous to this country as irresponsible talk. The right way is not always the popular and easy way. Standing for right when it is unpopular is a true test of moral character." -- Margaret Chase Smith

Obama made his own noteworthy statement about "patriotism" today. I'll include it under the fold after the following contextual observations.

Here is a reminder of those stupid, febrile, "patriotic" days:

Akonitum

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Friday April 27, 2007 · 10:16 AM PDT

2007/04/27 · 10:16

This article by Lt. Col. Paul Yinling in the Armed Forces Journal, "A Failure in Generalship," amplifies the sentiment of my question in a diary last week, titled "Has American Military Leadership Lost Its Bearings?", which I thought had some interesting poll results.

Excerpts below the fold:

Akonitum

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Wednesday April 25, 2007 · 12:13 AM PDT

2007/04/25 · 00:13

American values of honor and integrity as embodied by Kevin Tillman, Jessica Lynch, and Bryan O'Neal, today, can be hard to live up to. I have reached a point where I think American military leadership from Bush down is not trustworthy.

Poll

44 votes Show Results

When should an American say "No"?

44 votes Vote Now!

When should an American say "No"?

When being asked cover up military mistakes.

0 votes

When being asked to lie to the American public.

1 vote

When being asked to support torture.

0 votes

When being asked to cover up torture.

0 votes

When being asked or tempted to perform torture.

0 votes

When being asked to kill innocents.

0 votes

When being asked to fight an unjust war.

0 votes

All of the above.

43 votes

Other (comments below).

0 votes

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Our Future in Cement: Exponential Overshoot Series #1

Patriotism Obama-style

Armed Forces Journal Article on Failure of Generals in Iraq

Has American Military Leadership Lost Its Bearings?