LA Is BUILT OUT: High-profile land use attorney part of anti-development ballot measure

Here

I have to agree. My initial take is: LA is BUILT OUT. Anyone who drives in LA, which is virtually everyone, knows this. The nuances notwithstanding, and despite political high-wire acts explaining how we can cram more multi-unit structures anywhere in the city without affecting traffic (which is just aggravating news to hear when one is already aware of reality and can't beliece someone would say something so brazenly stupid and unbelievable), I am completely in favor of voting yes to such a measure. And at least temporarily, until they can figure the traffic out and develop a city you can move around in without spending hours in mind-numbingly bad traffic for the simplest of commutes or basic errands. Special note: I am already a biker and walker. The city is being way over built and it's ruining where I grew up. Shame. This legislation is needed.

#sprawl  #overbuilt   #smartgrowth   #traffichell  #overdeveloped  #greed  #corruptpoliticians 

Pope Francis Decries Consumerism in Christmas Mass, Urges Us to Live with More Compassion, Humility, Civility

Here   How wonderful Pope Francis' words... thinking so many of the same thoughts... wishing our culture would take a turn sharply this direction, and without the impetus of war. Burying our guns and turning the soil instead with shovels. Planting trees and fruit and expanding humanity.

"In a society so often intoxicated by consumerism and hedonism, wealth and extravagance, appearances and narcissism, [Jesus] calls us to act soberly, in other words, in a way that is simple, balanced, consistent, capable of seeing and doing what is essential … Amid a culture of indifference which not infrequently turns ruthless, our style of life should instead be devout, filled with empathy, compassion and mercy, drawn daily from the wellspring of prayer.”

U.N. Security Council puts sanctions focus on Islamic State | Reuters

U.N. Security Council puts sanctions focus on Islamic State | Reuters 

"The U.N. Security
Council warned on Thursday that some countries are failing to implement
long-standing sanctions against Islamic State, as an unprecedented
meeting of finance ministers put the global focus on cutting off the
militant group's funds."

Are you kidding... this HAS to be implemented. It must be considered a crime, of a pretty heinous type, to aide and abet an enemy like ISIS. How can any country or company be let to slide on this??? 

Paris Accord 'big win,' even as climate threat still looms

Here

"Obama said the accord would send a powerful signal, channel investment into low-carbon projects and spur job creation in those areas.

The president also said that he imagined walking with his grandchildren watching a “quiet sunset” and “knowing . . . that our work here and now gave future generations cleaner air and cleaner water and a more sustainable planet. And what can be more important than that?”

Tweets and Takes on the Paris Climate Agreement

My two initial thoughts: Thought: ok/good to ratify weak starting point that can ratchet up every few years. Thought: governments are selfish and cynical, at least partially corrupt often, amazing they could get something better than lipstick on a pig.

Years from now, our grandchildren will reflect on humanity’s moral courage to solve the climate crisis and they will look to December 12, 2015, as the day when the community of nations finally made the decision to act. -- Al Gore

BREAKING: Historic ‪#‎ParisAgreement‬ to lay foundation for 100 percent clean energy, limit warming to 1.5 celsius environmentamerica.org/news/ame/histo….  ‪#‎COP21‬final - good news - formal process established to assess progress & strengthen, beginning in 2018. perhaps most important part? -- Michael Brune, Sierra Club

Our children would not understand us, would not forgive us -- Laurent Fabius 

Whatever the outcome from Paris #COP21... it's the beginning of the end of age of fossil fuels ‪#‎keepitintheground‬ -- Bhaskar Diol 

Friends of the Earth International says #COP21 agreement is a "sham" twitter.com/ndcnona/status… ‪#‎climatechange‬ ‪#‎worldpoli‬

Friends of the Earth International: US removed liability and compensation and only reduces emissions by 20% "Island Nations will go Extinct" 

#COP21... an historic turning point. It does not mean climate justice is here. Not even close. But our progress is irreversible -- Michael Brune, Sierra Club

We don't have another lifetime to wait - 350 - SIGN PETITION - Politicians must fall in line, we need a future of 0% FOSSIL FUELS 100% RENEWABLES BY 2050"

We don't have another lifetime to wait - 350  SIGN PETITION to POLITICIANS IN PARIS

"WE CHOOSE SURVIVAL! Politicians must fall in line, we need a future of 0% FOSSIL FUELS 100% RENEWABLES BY 2050"

Funny,
but not signing this I guess we choose extinction? Funny species, ours.
Haha. My friend says our species just like to party. In Slapshot, the
wife says, 'Well, you can only drink so much, and screw so much!' Haha.
Smart gal. Guess we look for funny pictures of cats after that. Or other
things to immediately stimulate the pleasure centers of our brain,
relating to gratification and living, and not spending too much (or a
lot) of time on survival and longer term planning. I understand this but
not entirely, a little like Spock. The kids in Venice spend $12-14 on
glasses of wine at most of the restaurants here now! I wonder if any of
them save money; we can't afford to do that, and we're not kids. Oh
well. Sigh. Party on Wayne... live for today... carpe diem.... #eldersshouldknowbetter #buddhismanddetachment #goodintentionsanddetachfromresults #wearenotthewindandwearepartofit

Today American Middle-Class is No Longer the Majority, and Sliding

Study: US middle-class families are no longer in the majority | The Sacramento Bee 

Yep. And shrinking. Search this site for "1%" "or "2%" for more on growing income inequality. Or search "income inequality" or "Bernie Sanders", "Robert Reich", or "Mitt Romney".

Shame the robber barons that are deflating the soul of America -- shared prosperity, a huge healthy middle class. Middle class wages have not grown in 30 years. Search this site for "middle class"; while the top 1-2% have taken all income growth in the last 30 years.

Today, "...below 50 percent of the total this year, Pew found. In 1971, the middle
class accounted for 61 percent of the population, and it has been
declining steadily since."

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/national/article48918655.html#storylink=cpy

Paris Climate Conference Week 2

The New York Times is running features on what we can expect, and is already happening, like mountains with little or no snow. Here

Arnold Schwarzeneggar is there; "I, personally, want a plan. I don’t want to be like the last horse and buggy salesman who was holding out as cars took over the roads. I don’t want to be the last investor in Blockbuster as Netflix emerged."

That's exactly what is going to happen to fossil fuels. Here

Climate Change and Millennials: The Future is in Our Hands - Scientific American Blog Network

Climate Change and Millennials: The Future is in Our Hands - Scientific American Blog Network 

Because we are doing so poorly to control this, the next generation must get (and is getting) involved now. Two new ways to visualize this have occurred to me:

(1) It is like, "Daddy! A fire in the house has crept further from the office down the hall and toward our bedrooms!" And daddy gets up and puts a little sand and some water on a small part of the creeping flames and goes back to watching TV, with flames still crackling and streaking toward the ceiling. By the time our kids really wield the handles of power themselves, how is the house going to look?

(2) It is like a tsunami. We know an enormous wall of water is moving across the ocean at us. It is inevitable. Each time we walk or bike to the store instead of use the car, the wall of water gets a little smaller. Each time we buy an electric car, it gets smaller. Every solar panel installed, it gets smaller. Etc.

Personal sustainability: stay healthy! And help the community -- Santa Monica Venice Christmas Run!

December 5th -- tomorrow! http://christmasrun.com/index.php We're doing the 5k. Pretty flat, except the bump up to Neilson at the beginning. And a last bump up from Venice before the right turn on Pacific toward the end. And a benefit for Harverst Home, benefitting homeless women and their children. How rough is that. Homeless problem so bad in general, and in Venice and Santa Monica specifically.
Help the community and enjoy the run all!