Planet of Slums

Jeremy Harding gives a great review of Mike Davis' Planet of Slums - here is a snip:

Homogeneity, Davis would argue, is what late capitalism does: already a billion people live in roughly the same extraordinary way in roughly similar environments. Vast, contiguous slums are the habitat of the future for even larger numbers, yet the future looks more and more like it did the day before yesterday.

By 2015 there will be at least 550 cities with a population of more than one million.

Already this aggregate population is growing ‘by a million babies and migrants each week’.


The peak will come in 2050, when ten billion people, by then the great majority of humankind, will be living in cities: ‘95 per cent of this final build-out of humanity will occur in the urban areas of developing countries, whose populations will double to nearly four billion over the next generation.’ ...



On another front I picked this superb little article up from Antonio Lopez's blog Media Mindfulness.

Clueless Fuckwittery Continues Unabated.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report issued Friday argues that the effects of anthropological emissions on climate will be with us for 1000 years. Worst case scenarios involve millions dead and trillions of dollars lost, extreme weather, droughts, wildfires, melting ice sheets, sea level rises, hurricanes - roll out the usual suspects.

However those clinging to a business as usual fantasy still don't get it. NZ Business Council for 'sustainable' development - read that as sustain economic growth at all and any costs, view the report as "an exciting opportunity" what a pack of clueless fuckwits - this is like arguing complete and utter chaos and anarchy is an exciting opportunity for looters, thugs or, freely accessible Rohypnol an exciting opportunity for sexual predators.

The Business Council for Sustainable Development says "a gloomy attitude towards climate change is not helpful". Oh dear me, somebody should tell those pesky scientists that reports like this just ain't good for business. Can they please tart up the message or at least hire Satchi to market the report with a positive spin.

Responses such as this just go to show how much the gap between science and popular culture has grown. We live in a world where personal success is determined by how much money you have, or how big your car or house is. Where technology like the calvalry will come to our rescue, where "they" will come up with something "won't they". Opportunity and sustainability have been hijacked by those seeking to increase their wealth out of others misfortune.

Closing the Collapse Gap
by Dimtry Orlov

Article Sourced from Energy Bulletin

Highly recommended compelling reading !