Tag Archives: slow violence

Beneath the Geopolitical Mayhem

Saturated by wave after wave of updates chronicling violence inflicted by humans upon other humans, we tune our attention to all the additional damage inflicted upon the whole of life by the gradually accelerating violence of the Climate Emergency and the Sixth Extinction. Of course, the two levels of violence are deeply linked via human supremacism, and appear to be feeding energy into each other, with no end in sight.

Below, excerpts from today’s press release from the World Meteorological Organization, together with a link to the full report. It makes for sober reading; hence our ongoing focus on the theme of lifeboats!

Geneva, Switzerland (WMO) – The Earth’s climate is more out of balance than at any time in observed history, as greenhouse gas concentrations drive continued warming of the atmosphere and ocean and melting of ice, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). These rapid and large-scale changes have occurred within a few decades but will have harmful repercussions for hundreds – and potentially thousands – of years.

Key messages
  • WMO State of Climate report confirms 2015-2025 hottest 11 years on record
  • Earth’s energy imbalance is highest in sixty five-year record
  • The ocean has been absorbing about eighteen times the annual human energy use each year for the past two decades
  • Extreme weather impacts millions and costs billions
  • World Meteorological Day: observing today to protect tomorrow

 

 

LINK TO THE FULL REPORT

 

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Toxic Waste Mountains

Today we simply relay a video from the Guardian; no editorial comment required.

 

 

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Slow Violence

We are once again grateful to a DP correspondent for bringing the work of Rob Nixon to our attention, in particular his research on  the environmentalism of the poor as recounted in Slow Violence. The book is on order (NOT from Amazon); for now, we turn to a 2011 interview which provides a concise summary of his core thesis. Images are from the studio of the Nigerian artist Jerry Buhari.

 

 

MAN AND ENVIRONMENT

 

 

DEATH OF A LEAF

 

 

PROPHECY

 

 

GENERATION OF DRY BONES

 

 

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SLOW VIOLENCE AND THE ENVIRONMENTALISM OF THE POOR

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