Politics Archives - Climate change solutions. How to go carbon positive with hemp offset and sustainable living

1st December 20208th December 2020

Will the US and UN deschedule cannabis? Top 5 reasons why they did

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UPDATE, 04 Dec 20: Both said yes!

At a meeting of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), to be held in Vienna, 2-4 December 2020, the UN will vote on a WHO (World Health Organisation) recommendation to remove cannabis from its list of illegal narcotics. While largely symbolic, such a move would make it easier for nations everywhere to decriminalise and legalise cannabis, especially for medical use.

Meanwhile, the US House of Representatives will vote this week on the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement (MORE) Act. The legalisation bill seeks to end cannabis prohibition by removing the plant from the list of federally-controlled substances. It will also expunge (delete from legal records) prior cannabis convictions, and establish a tax on sales to fund reinvestments into the communities most negatively affected by the failed war on drugs.

Here are our top 5 reasons why the US and the UN need to act now, and act decisively in favour of descheduling cannabis…

15th November 202027th November 2020

Three reasons to believe in a better world: US election, vaccine, puppies Sadie and Archie

30th October 20205th December 2020

David Attenborough has a must-watch film on Netflix, A Life on Our Planet

David Attenborough and his emotional call to action

David Attenborough has got to be one of the most-loved people in the world, and he’s part of the fabric of our lives. So his new Netflix film, A Life on Our Planet, comes at just the right time. Just when we think we’re finished, Attenborough delivers the good news that it’s not too late if we act now. He has a vision. And it’s not that complicated. We must halt the growth in the world’s population. We must intensify efforts to create no-fishing zones. We must change our meat-eating obsession. For it’s no longer ‘just’ about saving the planet, it’s about saving humanity.

26th October 202027th November 2020

Who’s next to legalize cannabis? Are you ready to stand up?

Americans don’t just choose a new President on November 3, 2020, they also vote to legalize cannabis

Will 5 more US states legalize cannabis soon? Currently, 33 US states have legalized medical cannabis and 11 states have legalized cannabis for adult recreational use. On the November ballot, 5 states will put cannabis legalization to the vote. Arizona, New Jersey and Montana will have recreational cannabis use up for legalization. South Dakota will have both medical and recreational use on the ballot, while Mississippi puts legalization of medical cannabis use to the people. These votes could push America to the tipping point, where federal legalization becomes unstoppable, ending the current potential for conflict between state and federal law.

UPDATE, 27 Nov 2020: All cannabis liberalization measures passed in the Nov 2020 US Election, in Arizona, New Jersey, Montana, South Dakota and Mississippi. Meanwhile, Oregon decriminalized all drugs, the first part of the US to do so.

20th October 202022nd October 2020

Why do we change clocks, are daylight savings for environmental benefits?

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Changing clocks, daylight savings, Franz Ferdinand

We’re so used to changing the clocks for daylight savings every spring and fall. But why do we do it? Enjoying these October evenings? As summer slowly dies (northern hemisphere), those endless evenings have been gradually ebbing away, and our bodies and brains adjusting to the new normal of dark and cold. Then. Bang. The clocks ‘fall back’ an hour, late on Saturday night. The fantasy of ‘an extra hour in bed’ is instead the shock of earlier darkness where once was light. The reason why the clocks change is lost in the bullshit of World War One, when the ‘glorious dead’ piled up pointlessly in filthy trenches, in defence of stupid treaties and something to do with the Austro-Hungarian empire (like, what even was that and who the hell was Franz Ferdinand, besides a Glaswegian band from the 2000s?). Allegedly, changing the clocks for winter gave the peasants an extra hour of hellish toil in the mornings, or it saved on candles, or something. The Germans brought it in, just before the British, in 1916. Take me out, kaiser!

14th October 20208th November 2020

Why the world needs America to fire Trump

Fire Trump: The US Presidential Election 2020 poses an existential threat to the planet

A worsening climate crisis is one of the more visible legacies of Trump’s failures. If the US electorate doesn’t fire Trump, we are literally going to hell in a handbasket, brimming with anxiety and despair. We encourage all Americans to use their vote on or before Tuesday, November 3, 2020. Here are our top 5 reasons to fire President Trump…

2nd October 20202nd October 2020

Will you help fix the world, and do us a favour, by taking our surveys?

We need you to do us a favor, and help fix the world

We believe in surveys, as they are a valuable tool to learn about how we can get people to work together to help fix the world. Your opinion really matters to us. Your opinion can make a difference.

13th September 20201st December 2020

How to build Utopia: Goodbye nostalgia, hello future!

Nationalism and nostalgia are evolutionary dead ends

One positive from the pandemic struck me today. We’ve changed. We are focused on the future, the promise of a vaccine, the chance to enjoy and appreciate the things we took for granted just months ago. Think back, think about Trump and his MAGA desire to return to the 1950s. Think Brexit and the Conservatives’ fantasy of a return to the 1930s. Think about all the deluded nationalists around the world. They all want to take us backwards, to some imagined older, ‘better’ time. These are all bankrupt ideologies. But there is a better way…

11th August 202011th September 2020

The Age of Surveillance Capitalism – Book review, how to survive it

What is ‘surveillance capitalism’? Your future behaviour is the product

Shoshana Zuboff’s book is essential reading for anyone who has a smartphone or uses the internet. So, pretty much everyone should read this. When the product is free, then you are the product. This truism is taken to a new level by surveillance capitalism. Now, your predictable future behaviour is the product.

10th August 202010th August 2020

Urgent manifesto for human resistance to AI, algorithms and tech domination, #ResistAI

Manifesto and call-to-arms to prevent a dystopia in which humans become unnecessary, or serve machines

This Manifesto is about defining a simple, clear and direct set of rules for the people and companies that construct artificial intelligence, algorithms and technology.

This Manifesto aims to prevent a dystopia where: humans are governed by AI and algorithms; where tech’s appetites for resources and power have destroyed the environment; and where surveillance capitalism knows no boundaries.

All humans are invited to contribute to this manifesto and to share its ideas, for the benefit of all humankind and nature.

4th July 20206th July 2020

Democracy at risk in Ireland

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Ireland’s unelected leader poses a risk to democracy in Ireland

Ireland’s new prime minister was part of the crooked Government that destroyed the economy a decade ago, is a career politician from a right-wing bubble, and was not selected by the Irish electorate. This situation poses a real risk to democracy in Ireland.

20th April 202014th May 2020

420 is a demand for change. Legalize hemp and cannabis worldwide now

What 420 means, origin story

In 1971, five high school students in San Rafael, California, used the term in connection with a plan to search for an abandoned cannabis crop, based on a treasure map made by the grower (sounds like a movie waiting to happen). The group called themselves The Waldos, met after school at 4:20 PM, and were later popularised by High Times magazine. Now 420, 4/20 or 4:20 (pronounced four-twenty) is used as a general slang or codeword for smoking cannabis, and also represents April 20, an annual occasion for cannabis activities, including pro-legalization marches where it is still illegal.

10th April 202020th August 2020

Is Europe a country? How the EU can thrive after coronavirus

Is Europe a country?

No, Europe is not a country, and that’s the problem. Europe is landmass and some islands to the left of Asia, plus some far-flung colonial leftovers. The European Union is made up of 27 countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. To complicate matters, not all EU member states are part of the Euro, which is a distinct currency. 19 EU countries use the Euro, in what is known as the Eurozone: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain.

The European Union loves existential crises

The EU seems to stumble from existential crisis to existential crisis, while failing to create and communicate Big Ideas. COVID-19 is just the latest, but this time real lives are at stake, not just banks’ balance sheets or trade with Britain.

3rd April 202014th May 2020

Beautiful news: Some cool stuff for you

The world can and will be better soon. To deal with the coronavirus we need to minimise infections by social distancing, until the vaccine is produced and widely available. And the news is good, with curve-flattening measures working, and a vaccine formula innovated, just this week. Longer-term, people should be discouraged from eating wild animals, or animals from unhygienic markets. This is to ensure that Covid-19’s cousin doesn’t come along next. We’d need a new vaccine for that.

So let’s rethink how we do things, while recognising that the future is ours to build. Check out some of these three amazing things that will help shape your fabulous future. Ways to grow, cash to be won, and some beautiful news. Share the love and share your own great tips! Check back here often for more good news, or sign up for post alerts!

22nd March 20202nd September 2020

Coronavirus forces us to replace chaos and fear with clarity and purpose

Chaos, as a brand, is dead

Trump’s brand is chaos. And we are easily distracted. As a species, we’re hard-wired to always look out for threats. We now seem to be at peak threat level, with existential crises ubiquitous. Climate change may yet cause the extinction of humanity. Terrorists and dictators threaten massacres and even nuclear war. Economies and stock markets are stalled or collapsing. And now a viral pandemic has the entire world on edge, on pause, or on the front lines against an invisible enemy that sweeps through cities like the angel of death.

So those are 4 significant threats hanging over pretty much everybody right now, kind of like the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. We are at risk of a malaise falling upon the world. But the good news is that all these problems are made by us, and can be fixed by us. We just need to recognise the origin of chaos and who benefits from it. Then we need to get up, stand up, do something different.

16th March 202014th May 2020

Coronavirus tips: Stand up, wash your hands, be the hero

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coronavirus-tips-wash-hands-soap — *The best Covid-19 coronavirus health advice: 1. Wash hands regularly. 2. Stay home if possible. 3. Cover sneezes and coughs. 4. Seek medical help if sick, calling your GP in the first instance.*

We’re all about making it easier for everyone to become a hero

Heroism comes in many forms, such as providing leadership in work, at home, and in your community, challenging your own perceptions and ways of thinking, and looking after family and community. We need you to join us as we save the world from climate change. But we need to survive this virus first! So, here are our Covid-19 coronavirus tips…

Coronavirus top tips, Covid-19

While there may be little we can do to stop the Covid-19 coronavirus, we can help to reduce its impact until a vaccine is developed. This is called ‘flattening the curve’.

Wash your hands with soap frequently. Always wash your hands when you enter your home or any other building. Use hand sanitizer. You there! Don’t touch your face!
If your community has been advised to minimize social engagement, obey. Many countries are seeing complete lockdowns, while others are closing schools and cancelling large events. The coronavirus can be spread in the air and on surfaces, so clean door handles etc. regularly.
Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue. Then dispose of the tissue properly and wash your hands. No tissue? Cough or sneeze into your elbow.
If you feel unwell, stay at home! Contact your GP/doctor by phone or through their digital channels.

5th March 202014th May 2020

Adam and Eve: The greatest lie prevents true equality

“Adam and Eve is the greatest lie ever told. We were all female in the womb. So the male is made from the female, not the other way round. Always. Systemic inequality in law, religion and society is not just morally wrong, it’s Bronze Age, batshit crazy, and science disproves its basis. We must accept that our foundation stories are mostly lies. Or misogyny, the deluded punishment of all women for what Eve did in a story, will remain acceptable in most human societies.”
– Gary J Byrnes, March 2020.

21st February 202010th January 2021

How to save the planet – Top 5 things you can do in 2021

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The world is sliding to hell in a handbasket and it can often seem overwhelming. Well, fear not. The time to start taking action to save the planet is now. Learn to take the spectre of imminent catastrophe in your stride by making a decisive difference. Arm yourself with these actions and be the hero…

1. Be aware of your carbon footprint, cut your emissions, save the planet

What is your carbon footprint? It is a measure of the amount of CO2 you help generate, mostly through your everyday choices. The average for industrialised countries is 11 tons of CO2 per person per year. The world average is 4 tons. The target for all of us? 2 tons. If you want to accurately measure your carbon footprint, this calculator from the WWF is a good start. If you fund the planting of just one acre of hemp with Readathriller, you pretty much offset your CO2 for a year, so watch out for our CO2 offset packages, coming soon. Meanwhile, use our CO2 offset calculator tools and buy some hemp seeds and away you go into an instantly more sustainable future.

17th February 202014th May 2020

Facebook says no

Facebook’s double standards: It bans our ‘Trump is the Antichrist’ ads but runs Trump’s re-election campaign lies

Can you believe these guys? “I had a look at your ad account and unfortunately we won’t be able to re-enable it.” Meanwhile, Facebook peddles Trump lies and disinformation with impunity. Maybe they thought our article on Trump being the Antichrist was serious. Well, it isn’t. It’s much bigger than that.

Read our article about Trump, Nostradamus, the Bible and the Antichrist, and how old stories can be twisted any way you want.

Facebook wants to ban this story

10th February 202020th August 2020

What is climate change?

Are the gods angry with us?

Nobody likes hurricanes or floods, fires or droughts. We offer up prayers to those affected, whether traumatised or killed. Sadly, prayers are completely useless in the face of nature. Nature doesn’t care about gods. It’s chemistry, biology and physics. Nature is what we constructed our god myths around. You could say that nature is our gods. So, are our gods angry?

What is climate change and what does global warming have to do with it?

If the climate is a god, we’ve made it angry by adding heat. Hotter oceans have more energy, so release more water vapour into the air. Hotter air holds more water. Hotter air melts ice caps, leading to higher ocean levels and more devastating storm surges. The melted ice cap water heats up and so the water cycle on steroids continues. This is very basic science, something that most 10 year-olds can grasp. But many older men in positions of power are unwilling or unable to grasp this inescapable, scientific truth. This is bad.

2nd February 202027th November 2020

Is Trump the Antichrist from Nostradamus and Bible predictions?

trump-antichrist-nostradamus-bible-revelation — Nostradamus, what can you tell us about the 21st century in your plaguey, medieval French dialect?

Was Nostradamus right? Our investigation will startle you

Is Donald Trump the Antichrist that Nostradamus predicted, and are we now in the ‘End Times’? You could be forgiven for thinking that the end of the world was upon us, with R.E.M.’s song sounding apt on the radio, some American Christians calling President Trump The Second Coming, and new Bible-scale catastrophes every day. Including actual plagues of locusts in East Africa. It would be hilarious if it wasn’t all so tragic. So what we’ve done is bring together some parts of the Book of Revelation from the Bible and some Nostradamus verses to see if these really are apocalyptic times. What can we learn from the stories of the past? Read on…