Under Water

A study published in Nature Communications uses revised elevation estimates to find that 150 million people (2 percent of the world population) lives in areas likely to be below the high tide line in about 30 years.

237 million people in [China, Bangladesh, India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Japan] occupy areas that are highly likely to experience coastal flooding once or multiple times per year by 2050.

Capitalism Cannot Solve Climate Change

Ted Morgan explains the need for systemic change supported by a global uprising.

[C]limate injustice is only one manifestation of the inequalities and injustices built into the capitalist powers' imperial exploitation of the "under-developed" world. In the late Immanuel Wallerstein's framework, the core capitalist powers compete with each other for dominance in exploiting the resources of the underdeveloped periphery nations. 

Consequently, each of the capitalist powers is loathe to weaken its competitive position vis à vis the other capitalist economies. In a capitalist world, each economic unit must act to protect what it deems its own interests. The only counterweight comes from the public sector. 

Yet in a capitalist world, each public authority — local, state or national government — is constrained by the fear that pushing public interests too far will cause capital flight, thereby undermining its viability. And, of course, corporations and the wealthy dominate the shaping of public policy — nowhere more than in the US. 

This is the way capitalism works, which suggests how profound and systemic the changes will have to be if the world is to avoid catastrophe.

Update (December 17):  Capitalists are starting to feel the pinch.

Goldman Sachs has announced it will no longer be financing new oil drilling or exploration for oil in the Arctic. It has also pledged to stop investing in thermal coal mines or coal-fired projects anywhere in the world.

Restoring Democracy

Senator Bernie Sanders calls for the end of political corruption by insisting "money is not speech and corporations are not people". Among the election reforms would be a new Federal Elections Administration, overturn Buckley v. Valeo (money is speech), overturn Citizens United v. FEC, end super PACs, and enact public financing through vouchers.

GM Strike

The United Auto Workers have been on strike for over two weeks against General Motors.

The automaker and union have agreed on most of the key issues, but two main sticking points remain. They are boosting employee pension plans and shortening the length of time required for entry-level workers to earn top hourly pay of $28.

Update:  Negotiations are described as taking a "turn for the worse".

GM made an offer to the union that basically repeated one the UAW had previously rejected.

Update (October 9):  Sam Pizzigati looks at the history behind the strike.

Update (October 16):  UAW has a tentative settlement with General Motors.

Update (October 25):  UAW membership has ratified the new contract.

Update (November 3):  Bob Hennelly notes the number of people involved in labor strikes last year was the highest since 1986.