In the troubled age we live in the wealthy elite have perfected the art of inverting reality.
How else could the gutting of the social safety net be renamed austerity, and the dismantling of the public commons and transfer of its wealth to the extremely wealthy be excused as merely privatization? How else could wars on behalf of corporate industry be re-cast as “humanitarian interventions” and the “war on terror?”
Or the plunder of impoverished nations for the benefit of the powerful be explained as “free trade?” How else could the wanton destruction of the environment with impunity be seen as “job creation?”
Or the housing of millions of sentient beings in cramped, disease ridden, concentration camps be touted as a solution to “food insecurity?”
Or the mass incarceration of impoverished people of color be redefined as the “War on Drugs?” And refugees fleeing from regions where corporate exploitation has made life a misery be labelled “illegal aliens,” and demonized as criminals by the slick, intelligence devoid, powerful?
On a finite planet, with humanity fast reaching the upper limit of consumption and where resources are dwindling, the machinations of this global industry of plunder are beginning to crumble under their own weight. But it will not be a soft landing. The elite have steadily constructed the surveillance state; and they have augmented it with a militarized police force designed to protect their power and wealth with the distribution of swift and violent punishment. They have codified laws that allow for the indefinite detention, or extrajudicial execution, of anyone they view as a threat. And they will not hesitate in the slightest in employing everything in their arsenal at the first sign of ecological calamity and social unrest.
This is the inherent nature of capitalism; and in particular its terminal stage, neoliberalism. It is a system predicated upon wealth acquisition at the expense of the entire planet. Wherever it manifests itself the fundamental foundations of democracy are reduced to mere spectacle without substance. Wikipedia defines it as: “privatization, fiscal austerity, deregulation, free trade, and reductions in government spending in order to enhance the role of the private sector in the economy.” There are those that may use more euphemistic parlance to describe it, but its conclusive message to most of humanity, and countless other species, is no less cruel. It feeds on the most vulnerable through violence, disenfranchisement and humiliation. It castigates the poor as intrinsically deficient. And it divides the natural world into worthiness categorizes for efficient exploitation.
It has created a multi-national aristocracy that becomes more consumed with its corpulent privilege every day. But it is also a system which is ultimately destined to rot of its own suppuration and conceit.
Kenn Orphan 2015
Kenn Orphan 
In Dec. World Leaders are to meet in Paris to discuss Global Warming, at issue is the amount of greenhouse gases we our emitting, and their plan of action.
“A greenhouse gas is any gaseous compound in the atmosphere that is capable of absorbing infrared radiation, thereby trapping and holding heat in the atmosphere. By increasing the heat in the atmosphere, greenhouse gases are responsible for the greenhouse effect, which ultimately leads to global warming.” Live Science
Globally we our emitting 40 – 50 Billion Toxic Tons a Year.
The United States emitted 6.8 Billion Toxic Tons in 2014
In the 1850s – 1870s parts per million of Carbon in our atmosphere was between 260 – 280.
In the 1980s, there was 350 ppm of Carbon.
2015 – 404 ppm in Our Atmosphere.
The Pacific Ocean is 3 – 6 degrees warmer than Normal.
The Jet Stream is acting like a balloon that is loosing air.
The Arctic Ice and Snow may be gone at the end of this Summer. A Huge Natural Cooler for the Northern Hemisphere.
The meeting in Paris, should be about Closing the Fossil Fuel Faucet.
“Professor Chris Field is bullshitting the planet. On whether 1.5C is still feasible” Kevin Hester
“The message is already clear, that if the world does want to strive to limit warming to 1.5C or less, we don’t have very much of the carbon budget left.” Professeor Chris Field
“There is no carbon budget any more and 5C is baked in according to both Shell petroleum and the International Energy Authority. ” Kevin Hester
“Chris Field is the founding director of the Carnegie Institution’s department of global ecology and professor for interdisciplinary environmental studies at Stanford University. He is the co-chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) working group two (WGII) and US nominee for the chair of the IPCC.”
With people like this driving the IPCC you can see why we are all done for.” Kevin Hester.
There is No Carbon Budget
California emitted 459 Toxic Tons of Carbon Dioxide in 2014.
Gov Browns call to reduce this to 1990 levels so we can continue to emit over 400 million Toxic Tons a year, will not help us stop or slow down Global Warming and Sea Levels Rising.
“Updates to the 2020 Limit.
Calculation of the original 1990 limit approved in 2007 was revised using the scientifically updated IPCC 2007 fourth assessment report (AR4) global warming potentials, to 431 MMTCO2e. Thus the 2020 GHG emissions limit established in response to AB 32 is now slightly higher than the 427 MMTCO2e in the initial Scoping Plan.” Ca. Gov. Data
What will the Temp. be at 415 ppm ?
“Ice sheets contain enormous quantities of frozen water. If the Greenland Ice Sheet melted, scientists estimate that sea level would rise about 6 meters (20 feet). If the Antarctic Ice Sheet melted, sea level would rise by about 60 meters (200 feet).” National Snow and Ice Data Center.
When will Sea Level Rise to 220 – 300 Feet ? 2020 ? 2025 ? ?
What will the ppm of Carbon be when this happens ?
As of Now, they are talking about capping GHGs at 450 ppm.
What will the Temp. be at 450 ppm ?
We must transition to 100% Renewable Energy
Implement a California Residential and Commercial Feed in Tariff.
California Residential Feed in Tariff would allow homeowners to sell their Renewable Energy to the utility, protecting our communities from, Global Warming, Poison Water, Grid Failures, Natural Disasters, Toxic Natural Gas and Oil Fracking.
A California Commercial FiT in Los Angeles, Palo Alto, an Sacramento Ca. are operating NOW, paying the Business Person 17 cents cents per kilowatt hour.
Sign and Share this petition for a California Residential Feed in Tariff.
http://signon.org/sign/let-california-home-owners
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I CANNOT ‘like’ this, but I think it is an accurate description.
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Your best essay yet IMO Ken. You hit our plight exactly. How to kill a planet and it’s human population through greed, violence, and lying.
It begs the question – what can we do to change this? How do we make a better world in the face of these evil power holders? The word evil has gone out of fashion. But how else to characterize the bloated monsters so responsible for the misery of billions and the wanton destruction of a whole living planet? We need to think in plain words about what is happening. Those who would rape and pillage all of us have created an Orwellian lexicon of absurd lies to hide their crimes against humanity. The middle class is completely befuddled with phony narratives and meaningless distractions. They sleep while the world burns and millions die horribly. What will it take to awaken us? Or will we go to our doom sleepwalking, grasping our foolish toys?
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Dear Mike, This is Kenn’s best essay yet, at least in his “apocalyptic genre.” I thought, “This is it. He cannot say it better or more emphatically. He’s done it.” I hope the author will turn some of his attention to solutions that are underway, even if (as McPherson and others sorrowfully say) it’s too late.
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Dear Kenn,
With this tight, short piece you have reached your caring heart around the entire globe. In the most scathing, unsparing terms you’ve kicked hatred, greed and delusion to the curb. In 450 words you have pierced the major lies upon which governments, armed forces and corporations stand.
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