leicsmac

No disagreement there, money itself isn't the issue, power is, which money can facilitate. Abuse of power, treating other people as things, is the root of all evil, imo.

But lust for power over people, which money can and does buy, is. Would, for instance, Al Fayed have gotten away with the multitude of abuses of power he carried out if he didn't have the power, through money, to keep them hidden?

That's a fairer take then. Tbh given the state of public services I'm honestly not sure what the best direct course of action is to get the fiscal resources needed for them - just a little amusing to see these luminaries of the hospitality industry pretend to give a shit about the people they employ.

And ditto the wannabe Orangemen in Rangers support.

It would be interesting to hear the take on this with less of a vested interest than bosses with a (possible) axe to grind before passing judgement, tbh.

Yeah, lust for power plays into it a lot. However it's best not to overlook that money is the medium that lust for power is most often achieved by.

Current evidence would suggest the bad outweighs the good, that's not in doubt IMO.

I don't think money is the root of all evil, but I do think money is the most popular and easiest route to the root of all evil, which is seeking and exercising nonconsensual power over people. Money does by that power easily and often. There are though instances of money and power it buys being used for good and altruistic ends.

.... don't worry, not really a problem when the economy can surge and folks can make a quick buck. Apparently.

Well, Sir David has said Professor Brian Cox is his natural successor. Hasn't really got the gravitas yet, but perhaps that will come with time and he's certainly good at imparting science.

Thankfully currently there's Asia with David Attenborough on that shows off the Beebs documentary making capability once again.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2k0zd2z53xo World leaders are set to arrive at a big annual UN climate meeting hoping to rein in rising global temperatures, which are making deadly events like the recent floods in Spain far worse. A key aim at this year's meeting in Azerbaijan is agreeing on how to get more cash to poorer countries to help them curb their planet-warming gases and to help them cope with the growing impacts of climate change. But the US election victory of Donald Trump - a known climate sceptic - as well as wars and cost of living crises are proving a distraction, and some important leaders are not attending. Hosts Azerbaijan are also under intense scrutiny over their human rights record, as well as accusations they are using the meeting to line up fossil fuel deals. A look at the latest preparation for the next COP in the light of recent events.

Two brilliant low scoring T20s going on between India-Saffers and SL-NZ right now.

I'm not going to say that he's wrong out of hand, but then I think it's far too early to say his course of action to address those concerns is right, either. I guess time will tell.

There's no denying the influence of the pharmaceutical industry over there. However, there must be a way to change things around on that score without breeding a lack of trust in medication needed to prevent massive health crises. NB. An individualistic approach to environmental matters will only end in disaster, that's obvious.

If the US then adopts a healthcare system that isn't "be rich or drop dead poor" at his behest and actually stands to address the rather long list of environmental issues above that Trump was responsible for, then I'll agree on the reasonable part. NB. Informed choice is great, but it sits rather depend on where the informing comes from.

Anyone can sound convincing on a YouTube video. (As opposed, say, you the peer review process.) That's part of the reason measles has made a comeback in kids.

I unreservedly agree there. As above, hopefully a balance might be struck.

It's tricky, to be sure, but a balance has to be reached.

Well said. The bolded in particular is important; the events of this week prove that.

I have no reason to doubt that whatsoever. There has to be a way to adjust farming practices to maintain output while being less harmful to ecology.

I'd be interested to hear what alternatives spring to mind that wouldn't result in a massive population crash.

Perhaps some elaboration rather than mere innuendo is called for here for the sake of clarity, then?

I remember that people on the US election thread were inferring that what Trump got up to last time "wasn't that bad" ecologically and "the world didn't end". Well, someone elsewhere was kind enough to put together a rather exhaustive list of what his administration got up to last time. I invite those involved to discuss and/or defend, if they wish. From 2017 to 2021, the Trump administration reversed over 100 environmental regulations, affecting climate policy, air, water, wildlife, and chemical safety. Additionally, more than a dozen other rollbacks were in progress but not finalized by the end of the term, prompting questions about the potential impact of another four years. You might wonder what another four years could look like. Here's a summary of Trumps last four years in office: - Weakened fuel economy and greenhouse gas standards. - Revoked California's stricter emissions standards. - Withdrawn legal basis for limiting mercury from coal plants. - Exited the Paris climate agreement. - Altered Clean Air Act cost-benefit analysis methods. - Canceled methane emissions reporting for oil and gas companies. - Revised rules on methane emissions from drilling on public lands. - Eliminated methane standards for oil and gas facilities. - Withdrew rule limiting toxic emissions from industrial polluters. - Eased pollution safeguards for new power plants. - Changed refinery pollution monitoring rules. - Reversed emissions reduction during power plant malfunctions. - Weakened air pollution rules for national parks and wilderness areas. - Loosened state air pollution plan oversight. - Established minimum threshold for regulating greenhouse gases. - Relaxed pollution regulations for waste coal plants. - Repealed hydrofluorocarbon leak and venting rules. - Ended use of social cost of carbon in rulemaking. - Allowed increased ozone pollution from upwind states. - Stopped including greenhouse gas emissions in environmental reviews. - Revoked federal greenhouse gas reduction goal. - Repealed tailpipe emissions tracking on federal highways. - Lifted ban on higher ethanol gasoline blends in summer. - Extended deadlines for methane emissions plans for landfills. - Withdrew rule reducing pollutants at sewage plants. - Dropped tighter pollution standards for offshore oil and gas. - Amended emissions standards for ceramics manufacturers. - Relaxed leak monitoring at oil and gas facilities. - Cut two national monuments in Utah. - Ended freeze on new coal leases on public lands. - Permitted oil and gas development in Arctic Refuge. - Opened land for drilling in National Petroleum Reserve, Alaska. - Lifted ban on logging in Tongass National Forest. - Approved Dakota Access pipeline near Sioux reservation. - Rescinded water pollution rules for fracking. - Withdrawn rig decommissioning cost proof requirement. - Moved cross-border project permits to presidential office. - Altered FERC's greenhouse gas considerations in pipelines. - Revised ocean and coastal water policy. - Loosened offshore drilling safety regulations post-Deepwater Horizon. - Weakened National Environmental Policy Act. - Revoked flood standards for federal projects. - Eased federal infrastructure project environmental reviews. - Ended financing for overseas coal plants. - Revoked directive to minimize natural resource impacts. - Revoked climate resilience order for Bering Sea. - Reversed public land-use planning update. - Withdrawn climate change consideration in national park management. - Limited environmental study length and page count. - Dropped Obama-era climate change and conservation policies. - Eliminated planning system to minimize oil and gas harm on sensitive lands. - Withdrawn policies for improving resources affected by federal projects. - Revised Forest Service project review process. - Ended natural gas project environmental impact reviews. - Rolled back migratory bird protections. - Reduced habitat for northern spotted owl. - Altered Endangered Species Act application. - Weakened habitat protections under the Endangered Species Act. - Ended automatic protections for threatened species. - Reduced environmental protections for California salmon and smelt. - Removed gray wolf from endangered list. - Overturned bans on lead ammo and fishing tackle on federal lands. - Reversed ban on predator hunting in Alaskan refuges. - Reversed rule against baiting grizzly bears for hunting. - Amended fishing regulations. - Removed commercial fishing restrictions in marine preserve. - Proposed changes to endangered marine mammal injury limits. - Loosened fishing restrictions for Atlantic Bluefin Tuna. - Overturned migratory bird handicrafts ban. - Reduced Clean Water Act protections for tributaries and wetlands. - Revoked stream debris dumping rule for coal companies. - Weakened toxic discharge limits for power plants. - Extended lead pipe removal time in water systems. - Eased Clean Water Act for federal project permits over state objections. - Allowed unlined coal ash ponds to continue operating. - Withdrawn groundwater protections for uranium mines. - Rejected chlorpyrifos pesticide ban. - Declined financial responsibility rules for spills and accidents. - Opted against requiring mining industry pollution cleanup proof. - Narrowed toxic chemical safety assessment scope. - Reversed braking system upgrades for hazardous material trains. - Allowed liquefied natural gas rail transport. - Rolled back hazardous chemical site safety rules. - Narrowed pesticide application buffer zones. - Removed copper filter cake from hazardous waste list. - Limited use of scientific studies in public health regulations. - Reduced corporate settlement funding for environmental projects. - Repealed light bulb energy-efficiency regulation. - Weakened dishwasher efficiency standards. - Loosened efficiency standards for showerheads and appliances. - Altered energy efficiency standard-setting process. - Blocked efficiency standards for furnaces and water heaters. - Simplified appliance efficiency test exemption process. - Limited environmentally focused investments in 401(k) plans. - Changed policy on using sand from protected ecosystems. - Halted contributions to the Green Climate Fund. - Reversed national park plastic bottle sale restrictions.