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FreakinDJ
FreakinDJ's Journal
FreakinDJ's Journal
January 25, 2014
China’s Off-The-Charts Air Pollution Is Making Its Way To The U.S.
China’s Off-The-Charts Air Pollution Is Making Its Way To The U.S.
China’s pollution has shut down schools and shortened lifespans in the country — but according to a new study, its not just Chinese residents who should be worried about their smog.
On the West Coast of the U.S., pollution blown in from China can account for 12 to 24 percent of sulfate concentrations on any given day, a study published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found. That pollution caused Los Angeles to experience an extra day of smog levels that were above the federal health standards for ozone in 2006.
But though the pollution comes from China, the U.S. still bears part of the responsibility. That’s because about a fifth of China’s air pollution comes from the manufacture of goods for export to other countries, including the U.S., China’s second-largest trading partner. The study found that manufacturing for the export sector contributed to 36 percent of China’s sulfur dioxide emissions, 27 percent of its nitrogen oxides, 22 percent of its carbon monoxide and 17 percent of its black carbon — a pollutant linked to cancer, emphysema and asthma.
“When you buy a product at Wal-Mart, it has to be manufactured somewhere,” Steve Davis, co-author of the study and University of California at Irvine scientist told the Washington Post. “The product doesn’t contain the pollution, but creating it caused the pollution.”
China’s pollution has been setting records recently — in December, Shanghai was hit with a week of air pollution so bad that it cancelled flights and sporting events and forced children and the elderly indoors. And last week, Beijing experienced its first off-the-charts air pollution of 2014. China has implemented pollution reduction targets and a carbon trading scheme in some major cities, but in 2013 the country also approved the construction of $10 billion worth of new coal production capacity.
http://robinwestenra.blogspot.com/2014/01/chinese-pollution.html
China’s pollution has shut down schools and shortened lifespans in the country — but according to a new study, its not just Chinese residents who should be worried about their smog.
On the West Coast of the U.S., pollution blown in from China can account for 12 to 24 percent of sulfate concentrations on any given day, a study published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found. That pollution caused Los Angeles to experience an extra day of smog levels that were above the federal health standards for ozone in 2006.
But though the pollution comes from China, the U.S. still bears part of the responsibility. That’s because about a fifth of China’s air pollution comes from the manufacture of goods for export to other countries, including the U.S., China’s second-largest trading partner. The study found that manufacturing for the export sector contributed to 36 percent of China’s sulfur dioxide emissions, 27 percent of its nitrogen oxides, 22 percent of its carbon monoxide and 17 percent of its black carbon — a pollutant linked to cancer, emphysema and asthma.
“When you buy a product at Wal-Mart, it has to be manufactured somewhere,” Steve Davis, co-author of the study and University of California at Irvine scientist told the Washington Post. “The product doesn’t contain the pollution, but creating it caused the pollution.”
China’s pollution has been setting records recently — in December, Shanghai was hit with a week of air pollution so bad that it cancelled flights and sporting events and forced children and the elderly indoors. And last week, Beijing experienced its first off-the-charts air pollution of 2014. China has implemented pollution reduction targets and a carbon trading scheme in some major cities, but in 2013 the country also approved the construction of $10 billion worth of new coal production capacity.
http://robinwestenra.blogspot.com/2014/01/chinese-pollution.html
January 10, 2014
How many American Jobs will the TPP give away so MultiNational Corporations can collect Royalties
and maintain "Regional Pricing Schemes" for pharmaceuticals
Besides NONE of that money gathered from increased payments for Intellectual Property Rights will be "Repatriated back into the USA". All the Major Players assign those Intellectual Property Rights to subsidiary corporations sheltered in foreign tax haven countries.
Bottom Line - we'll lose countless jobs and not see 1 dime in revenues
January 10, 2014
So while we send Food and Medical aid the Africa - China is sending weapons to create yet more carnage
China Asks U.S. to Lift Sanctions on Arms Proliferators, Iran Traders
China is asking the Obama administration to lift sanctions on five Chinese state-run companies that were hit with U.S. sanctions in the past for arms sales and other illicit transfers to rogue states.
According to Obama administration officials, the request to lift sanctions on the five companies was made within the past two months by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce as part of preparations for an upcoming meeting of the U.S.-China Joint Commission of Commerce and Trade. The next commission meeting will be held in November or December.
<snip>
The company was also linked to a plot in 1996 to smuggle Chinese-made AK-47 assault rifles to Los Angeles street gangs.
<snip>
The Chinese told U.S. officials that the sanctions on the five companies should be lifted as part of “requirements” from the fifth round of the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue held in July in Washington.
http://freebeacon.com/china-asks-u-s-to-lift-sanctions-on-arms-proliferators-iran-traders/
According to Obama administration officials, the request to lift sanctions on the five companies was made within the past two months by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce as part of preparations for an upcoming meeting of the U.S.-China Joint Commission of Commerce and Trade. The next commission meeting will be held in November or December.
<snip>
The company was also linked to a plot in 1996 to smuggle Chinese-made AK-47 assault rifles to Los Angeles street gangs.
<snip>
The Chinese told U.S. officials that the sanctions on the five companies should be lifted as part of “requirements” from the fifth round of the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue held in July in Washington.
http://freebeacon.com/china-asks-u-s-to-lift-sanctions-on-arms-proliferators-iran-traders/
Arming Africa - The China Connection
In reading about the arms trade and speaking with U.N. officials, I knew that the most notorious arms smugglers -- like Victor Bout -- were Russian or from former Soviet states. Typically, these people were best able to profit from corrupt officials and poor oversight of the vast arsenals that were left unattended when the USSR fell. But as I looked through U.N. stockpiles of captured weapons, the majority of Kalashnikovs were made in China.
<snip>
The Chinese link to Africa has existed since the 15th century, when an armada of massive junks is reputed to have followed the African coastline as far as modern-day Somalia, trading laquerware silk and ceramics for exotic spices, jewels and timber. For almost 600 years after this ambitious exploration, China turned inward, but today, the country's imprint can be found all over the African continent. Aided by central banks, government loans and Beijing's offers of massive infrastructure projects, Chinese oil companies have invested heavily in Guinea, Nigeria and Sudan, and resource-extraction companies are active across sub-Saharan Africa.
http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/rough/2007/08/congo_on_the_trgen.html
In reading about the arms trade and speaking with U.N. officials, I knew that the most notorious arms smugglers -- like Victor Bout -- were Russian or from former Soviet states. Typically, these people were best able to profit from corrupt officials and poor oversight of the vast arsenals that were left unattended when the USSR fell. But as I looked through U.N. stockpiles of captured weapons, the majority of Kalashnikovs were made in China.
<snip>
The Chinese link to Africa has existed since the 15th century, when an armada of massive junks is reputed to have followed the African coastline as far as modern-day Somalia, trading laquerware silk and ceramics for exotic spices, jewels and timber. For almost 600 years after this ambitious exploration, China turned inward, but today, the country's imprint can be found all over the African continent. Aided by central banks, government loans and Beijing's offers of massive infrastructure projects, Chinese oil companies have invested heavily in Guinea, Nigeria and Sudan, and resource-extraction companies are active across sub-Saharan Africa.
http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/rough/2007/08/congo_on_the_trgen.html
So while we send Food and Medical aid the Africa - China is sending weapons to create yet more carnage
January 10, 2014
See Australians don't like getting Screwed any more then the 99% do
Free trade not a licence to rip off Australia - "See were not the only ones getting Fucked"
Free trade not a licence to rip off Australia
Australians have long known that multinational corporations' regional pricing tactics deny them a fair price for many consumer products. We did not need a federal parliamentary inquiry to confirm we pay far too much for medicines, computer software and hardware, movies, music and computer games, as well as old-fashioned books. Still, in July, the inquiry called for an end to the market manipulation. It is alarming, then, that leaked details of a draft treaty among a dozen Pacific nations suggest Australia is not strongly resisting pressure to rewrite trade rules to enforce regional disparities.
The Age believes in free and fair trade. We also condemn the pirating of copyrighted or patented products. This is theft from the creators of intellectual property, which discourages further product development and innovation. But the draft of a Trans Pacific Partnership shows the US favours trade rules that will help multinational companies to continue charging more for consumer technology products in certain markets such as ours. The inquiry found we pay 42 to 66 per cent more than people overseas for software and hardware; about 60 per cent more for music downloads; and two to four times as much for computer games.
Intellectual property law expert Matthew Rimmer says the draft has ''little focus on the rights and interests of consumers, let alone broader community interests''. Australians elect their governments to put their interests first. Prime Minister Tony Abbott hopes a deal will be reached next month, yet consultation has been limited to ''industry sectors that could be impacted by the agreement''. The affected consumers, the vast majority of us, would be in the dark if not for WikiLeaks. Journalists were barred from industry briefings on the next round of talks starting this week.
The draft treaty's leaked details suggest a possible motive: in only one area is Australia clearly opposing US and Japanese trade interests. That is pharmaceuticals, for which the Commonwealth pays about $20 billion a year. The US is seeking ways to extend patents, which would restrict production of cheaper generic drugs.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/comment/the-age-editorial/free-trade-not-a-licence-to-rip-off-australia-20131117-2xp5n.html#ixzz2pxF950pq
Australians have long known that multinational corporations' regional pricing tactics deny them a fair price for many consumer products. We did not need a federal parliamentary inquiry to confirm we pay far too much for medicines, computer software and hardware, movies, music and computer games, as well as old-fashioned books. Still, in July, the inquiry called for an end to the market manipulation. It is alarming, then, that leaked details of a draft treaty among a dozen Pacific nations suggest Australia is not strongly resisting pressure to rewrite trade rules to enforce regional disparities.
The Age believes in free and fair trade. We also condemn the pirating of copyrighted or patented products. This is theft from the creators of intellectual property, which discourages further product development and innovation. But the draft of a Trans Pacific Partnership shows the US favours trade rules that will help multinational companies to continue charging more for consumer technology products in certain markets such as ours. The inquiry found we pay 42 to 66 per cent more than people overseas for software and hardware; about 60 per cent more for music downloads; and two to four times as much for computer games.
Intellectual property law expert Matthew Rimmer says the draft has ''little focus on the rights and interests of consumers, let alone broader community interests''. Australians elect their governments to put their interests first. Prime Minister Tony Abbott hopes a deal will be reached next month, yet consultation has been limited to ''industry sectors that could be impacted by the agreement''. The affected consumers, the vast majority of us, would be in the dark if not for WikiLeaks. Journalists were barred from industry briefings on the next round of talks starting this week.
The draft treaty's leaked details suggest a possible motive: in only one area is Australia clearly opposing US and Japanese trade interests. That is pharmaceuticals, for which the Commonwealth pays about $20 billion a year. The US is seeking ways to extend patents, which would restrict production of cheaper generic drugs.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/comment/the-age-editorial/free-trade-not-a-licence-to-rip-off-australia-20131117-2xp5n.html#ixzz2pxF950pq
See Australians don't like getting Screwed any more then the 99% do
January 9, 2014
Free Traitors (Trade) are NOT Democrats
I am sick and tired of countless discussions with RATpubliCON / Chamber of Commerce operatives posing as Democrats/Liberals/Progressives claiming "Free Trade" is good for the economy.
Some of these posers even live in the countries that EXPORT to the USA and they come here to DU and argue in favor of these lopsided treaties (Duh - I wonder why). Others I can only explain as "Wall St. Worshippers" whose only concern in life is IF they can just Kiss enough Corporate ASS maybe - just maybe - they'll let them in the Rich Boy's Club.
The end result of all this horse shit is exactly what we have now - A Top Heavy / Wealthy Elite 1% Economy which by design EXCLUDES the 99%. Healthcare for the Wealthy, and a Ponzi Scheme Retirement system - that or they just plain steal the retirement funds and stick the tax payers with the bill
FUCK THAT SHIT
Watch out Folks - they are coming out of the woodwork as the TPP nears a vote
January 9, 2014
Almost like these officers are "Trained" to say "I was in fear for my life"
Police: Officer-involved shooting victim unarmed, officer shot by ‘friendly fire’
A man shot and killed Saturday by Gwinnett County police was unarmed, and an officer was injured by police gunfire, authorities said.
Robert Coleman was shot by police officers responding Saturday afternoon to reports of a stabbing at one home and a burglary about three blocks away near Lawrenceville, police said.
A pair of responding officers determined that the 30-year-old Coleman was a suspect in the stabbing and followed him to a second home, in the 3800 block of Smokemist Trace, where they found the front door kicked open, according to police.
Gwinnett County police spokesman Cpl. Jake Smith said Coleman “charged and physically attacked” one officer inside the home, and the officer – who feared for his life – opened fire.
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/crime-law/police-officer-involved-shooting-victim-unarmed-of/ncgZw/
Robert Coleman was shot by police officers responding Saturday afternoon to reports of a stabbing at one home and a burglary about three blocks away near Lawrenceville, police said.
A pair of responding officers determined that the 30-year-old Coleman was a suspect in the stabbing and followed him to a second home, in the 3800 block of Smokemist Trace, where they found the front door kicked open, according to police.
Gwinnett County police spokesman Cpl. Jake Smith said Coleman “charged and physically attacked” one officer inside the home, and the officer – who feared for his life – opened fire.
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/crime-law/police-officer-involved-shooting-victim-unarmed-of/ncgZw/
Almost like these officers are "Trained" to say "I was in fear for my life"
January 9, 2014
"The orange tip, The orange tip"
my ass
New Allegations Against Erick Gelhaus Added to Andy Lopez Lawsuit
SANTA ROSA (BCN) — More than 100 people packed the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors chambers this afternoon to continue their protest of the killing of 13-year-old Andy Lopez by a sheriff’s deputy in October.
<snip>
The 20-page amended complaint alleges Sonoma County was aware Gelhaus had racist and extremist tendencies and beliefs, and attended and was an instructor at a shooting academy whose founder held extremist and homophobic, racist and separatist views.
The complaint alleges Gelhaus was a regular contributor to online shooting and firearms tactics magazines and blogs, and he “instructed and advised others on questionable tactics,” including “how an officer must respond to justify shooting a kid with a toy gun.”
After Gelhaus shot Lopez, he immediately tried to erase, conceal and otherwise destroy evidence of his racist, separatist and extremist beliefs, and he wrongfully erased his own commentary, postings in chat rooms and other writings in an effort to conceal his beliefs, according to the amended complaint.
http://news.kron4.com/news/new-allegations-against-erick-gelhaus-added-to-andy-lopez-lawsuit/
<snip>
The 20-page amended complaint alleges Sonoma County was aware Gelhaus had racist and extremist tendencies and beliefs, and attended and was an instructor at a shooting academy whose founder held extremist and homophobic, racist and separatist views.
The complaint alleges Gelhaus was a regular contributor to online shooting and firearms tactics magazines and blogs, and he “instructed and advised others on questionable tactics,” including “how an officer must respond to justify shooting a kid with a toy gun.”
After Gelhaus shot Lopez, he immediately tried to erase, conceal and otherwise destroy evidence of his racist, separatist and extremist beliefs, and he wrongfully erased his own commentary, postings in chat rooms and other writings in an effort to conceal his beliefs, according to the amended complaint.
http://news.kron4.com/news/new-allegations-against-erick-gelhaus-added-to-andy-lopez-lawsuit/
"The orange tip, The orange tip"
my ass
January 8, 2014
'We called for help, and they killed my son,' North Carolina man says
Source: CNN
Seventy seconds: That's how long a North Carolina family says it took for things to go horribly wrong as they sought police help dealing with their mentally ill son.
Keith Vidal, 18, died Sunday. According to CNN affiliate WECT, he was just shot 1 minute and 10 seconds after a third law enforcement officer showed up at his Brunswick County home.
The three officers all were from different jurisdictions, and family members say that the third officer -- who came from a nearby city -- turned what had been an improving situation into an unnecessarily aggressive encounter that ended in their son's death.
"There was no reason to shoot this kid," the teen's stepfather, Mark Wilsey, told WECT on Monday. "They killed my son in cold blood. We called for help, and they killed my son."
Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/07/justice/north-carolina-teen-killed/index.html?hpt=hp_t1
January 4, 2014
Are WalMart's Low Wages A Drag On The Economy?
A new report claims that Wal-Mart’s wages could be costing taxpayers $900,000 to $1.75 million per year, per store.
“Wal-Mart’s The Low‐Wage Drag on Our Economy: Wal‐Mart’s low wages and their effect on taxpayers and economic growth” was prepared by the Democratic staff of the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce and released today. The document claims to have calculated the cost to taxpayers in social services for workers paid the minimum wage.
It’s not the kind of summer blockbuster the American public expects, but it likely will become one.
It’s an update to the 2004 report: “Everyday Low Wages: The Hidden Price We All Pay for Wal-Mart.” That report sought to capture the public costs Wal-Mart’s business model imposes upon the nation’s taxpayers. It found that a hypothetical 200-person Wal-Mart store cost taxpayers an estimated $420,750 per year.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/lauraheller/2013/05/31/are-wal%E2%80%90marts-low-wages-a-drag-on-the-economy-new-report-says-yes/
“Wal-Mart’s The Low‐Wage Drag on Our Economy: Wal‐Mart’s low wages and their effect on taxpayers and economic growth” was prepared by the Democratic staff of the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce and released today. The document claims to have calculated the cost to taxpayers in social services for workers paid the minimum wage.
It’s not the kind of summer blockbuster the American public expects, but it likely will become one.
It’s an update to the 2004 report: “Everyday Low Wages: The Hidden Price We All Pay for Wal-Mart.” That report sought to capture the public costs Wal-Mart’s business model imposes upon the nation’s taxpayers. It found that a hypothetical 200-person Wal-Mart store cost taxpayers an estimated $420,750 per year.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/lauraheller/2013/05/31/are-wal%E2%80%90marts-low-wages-a-drag-on-the-economy-new-report-says-yes/
January 4, 2014
Low wages are stalling America’s economy
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — American workers should get a raise. They deserve a raise, and the economy needs it, too.
Low wages are holding us back. Since the official end of the recession more than four years ago, the average wage has barely kept up with inflation, even though workers are more productive and are creating more profits for the owners they work for.
Since June 2009, real average weekly earnings have increased 0.3% per year , even as productivity has increased 1.5% per year. Most of the income gains have gone to the highest paid workers, including the bosses. Real median weekly wages have actually declined 0.8% per year since 2009.
Slow income growth means consumer spending has also grown slowly. Most households are still trying to avoid taking on too much debt (like they did in the 2000s), so they don’t have the purchasing power to buy the additional goods and services that the economy could be producing.
If those additional goods and services can’t be sold, then businesses won’t hire the workers who would produce them, nor will they invest in the buildings or equipment that would be needed.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/low-wages-are-stalling-americas-economy-2013-12-06
Low wages are holding us back. Since the official end of the recession more than four years ago, the average wage has barely kept up with inflation, even though workers are more productive and are creating more profits for the owners they work for.
Since June 2009, real average weekly earnings have increased 0.3% per year , even as productivity has increased 1.5% per year. Most of the income gains have gone to the highest paid workers, including the bosses. Real median weekly wages have actually declined 0.8% per year since 2009.
Slow income growth means consumer spending has also grown slowly. Most households are still trying to avoid taking on too much debt (like they did in the 2000s), so they don’t have the purchasing power to buy the additional goods and services that the economy could be producing.
If those additional goods and services can’t be sold, then businesses won’t hire the workers who would produce them, nor will they invest in the buildings or equipment that would be needed.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/low-wages-are-stalling-americas-economy-2013-12-06
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