Sanity in an insane world....

Sanity in an insane world

Back to blogging to keep my sanity in an increasingly insane world. Not that there much to add to my previous blogs or to the outline of the New Grammar of Living. I very well know that it is futile to ever think or wish that we can rewind or regress this so called progress of human civilisation in terms of wealth, technological progress, capitalist development, bigger, faster, better in everything, although this very trajectory has brought in its wake widening inequalities, huge swathes of poverty yet to be touched by this so called magic wand of progress, violence, wars, climate change, ecocalypses, et al.

The ever deepening contours of the global developments over the past year or so only buttresses all my earlier writings, blogs and my first diaries about 50 years ago. The absurd theatre and surreal events are only becoming more zanier each day and zombie like we lurch forward.

Couple of months ago I saw some alarmist videos on YouTube which jolted my already numbed mind into this outpouring. They listed out possible scenarios in response to Obama's called for preparedness for disasters. US has set up a crack military outfit which has now spread its tentacles into maybe 200 cities to face any chaos arising from any of the disaster scenarios. The disasters they are anticipating are: massive earthquake and tsunami in California, drought and excess rainfall resulting good shortages, race riots, and the most frightful one on the collapse of the dollar triggered of by another financial meltdown.

The most devastating time bomb ticking away is that of the derivatives market and exposure of major global banks. Recently it surfaced that Deutsche Bank is saddled with $ 75 trillion derivatives which about the same size as that of the global GDP! The total size of global derivatives is a mind boggling ten times global GDP ie around $ 800 trillion. Some estimates place it at $ 1.5 quadrillion!!! This  is extremely toxic and as big a risk as that of the nuclear stockpile and proliferation and rising chances of a terror attack with dirty bombs. We are verily on the precipice.

While all this is taking us close to edge, in one of the most astonishing elections in US, two extremely unpopular candidates - Trump and Clinton are pitted against each other. Ironically this comes at the end of one of the best presidencies US ever had. Also Obama has hit his highest approval ratings of his second term since April 2016.
In view of all the confusion and unpopularity of the current candidates, there is a growing feeling that Obama should carry on for an unprecedented third term which constitutionally not possible. There is a conspiracy theory gaining ground that the US govt could engineer some catastrophe which will generate popular demand for Obama to continue as president! This could be a better option than the present two prospects. Extremely sad the candidate by far the best Bernie Sanders had to bow down to the subterfuge and machinations of the Clinton Mafia.

Violence and terror are marching forward relentlessly with daily occurrences sickening and numbing our senses. No place is safe. Humans are turning psychotic. Kids are now subjected to so much of gore and mindless violence on tv. Islamic fundamentalism wreaking havoc across the globe. Alienated mentally sick loners in advanced countries indulging in mass killings with greater regularity. Hate crimes, police brutality, race attacks....spiralling out of control.

With the proliferation of technology, media, baleful influence of TV and Hollywood, rising incomes in emerging markets, demand for all the goodies, cars, energy intensive lifestyles, crazy urbanisation, concrete jungles...is soaring especially in China and India. Now that the cat is out of the bag it's very difficult to curb the demand for the toys of doom. The developed economies (incl China) are sermonising the emerging markets that they must curb carbon emissions after they have spewed forth overwhelming majority 70% of cumulative global historical emissions. The irony lies in the fact that the industries like auto, air conditioners...are depending upon emerging markets to market their deadly energy guzzling monsters. Yes it's indeed a catch 22 situation.

With major parts of the developed world mired in deep debt doldrums, ravaging climate change related concerns, escalating violence and wars the prognosis for the world appears grim. Humans are too deeply entrenched in conditioning in all  its myriad facets (see my earlier blog on conditioning dated 5th July 14) to ever be able to wrench themselves out of the faustian fatal attraction of the so called progress of civilisation. Truly we are lurching ahead like zombies....

Brexit ...inflexion point....

Historic moment for world. Brexit has won. Is this a canary in the mine? This really could be the precursor of many "break with the past" events to come. The various facets of this move are numbing. It will have ramifications on US elections, existence of EU, financial markets, globalisation, unipolar world....

The EU could start disintegrating with elections looming up in France and Germany. For the past forty years or so unified Europe had become a powerful economic entity which was an ally of US which during this period was losing its position of strength. This was a period when Japan and China rose to the top tiers of the global economic platform. Along with this there was the weakening of the giant USSR and its fragmentation. Russia emerged a much weaker opponent of USA. So there was a move from a bipolar to a unipolar world. Then with the burgeoning growth of China there was more multi polar world.

Presently in USA there is a contentious election with two weak unpopular candidates. Trump like a veritable mad man has been spewing hate and anti immigrant vitriolics. The deep malaise has been the unemployment situation, rising inequalities, rise in immigrants, adverse terms of trade.... With very little institutional support Trump has whipped up considerable support which borders on racism. America is a country of immigrants. Hence within this immigrant society some claim to be more equal than others....

Again the seeds of its unemployment were spawned by its rise to becoming the richest nation on earth. Rising incomes made manufacturing unprofitable. Capitalism dictated that in the search for returns on investment, the cost of labour had to be reduced. Hence manufacturing shifted to China and elsewhere. The middle-class of US shrank. In the process jobs declined along with the rise despair, drugs and violence....

These forty years or so of EU saw the ups and downs of global economic stability. During the past 4/5 years or so large swathes of Europe have started tethering closer to bankruptsy. Debt had ballooned all over the world more so in Europe and USA. Europe witnessed Greece, Portugal, Spain, Italy collapsing under unmanageable debt. USA too has run up the highest debt levels anywhere. The largest banks of the western world too are under lot of stress. The financial system too is labouring under crises in currency, derivatives, stock and credit markets....

During this period climate change has intensified. This has lead to widespread famines and social unrest. Terror too has rapidly spread its tentacles especially after the oil crises of the 70s. The first world lead by US tried to control the oil rich gulf countries and also got involved in few wars there. This possibly fuelled and accelerated the growth of fundamentalist terror. The past few years have seen a sharp increase in migrants in Europe and into other parts of the world from Middle East, Africa...This massive migrants crises highlighted the inequalities in the developed world, burden on their already strained financial and fiscal systems, unemployment situation....this has also given rise to racism and blame on open arms policy for refugees...

Indeed very interesting times globally...defining times...momentous times...world is changing and changing very fast....brexit is the tip of the iceberg....this much and no further...the developed world has started saying...the right wing is on the ascendant in the most of the developed world....autarky on the rise... isolationism.... racism... bankrupt economies... Climate change...inequalities... Brexit indeed tip of the iceberg... 

Part of me died today

Slowly the death of Mohammad Ali is sinking into my consciousness. He was an integral part of one's world view and innate existence for about 53 years since he shot into fame by knocking out Liston. He exuded total confidence in his talent and was so poetically articulate. His intelligence was indeed of a high order though he hardly crossed class 10. It took a lot indeed to rise above the apartheid ridden life he had to face
 in his early years. Indeed he was a multi faceted genius.

Yes indeed a dear part of me has died today. Death is a gradual process which does not come the day we are clinically dead. For most as we grow, parts of us keep dying starting with the demise of parents, near ones, icons and idols we worship. We basically are a summation of all the people in our lives who have contributed to the creation of our psyche and physical being. The list of such people may be long. But the same 20/80 principal works here. So there are a few who have made a profound impact in our lives. Each time any of them leave a part of us dies.

Ali had something ineffable and magical about him. He really made a difference to millions of lives. He strode like a colossus on the world stage inspite of his Parkinson. He was no ordinary mortal who would have been ravaged by the debilitating disease. He sheer genius struck all. He transcended the sport boxing which catapulted him to global fame. Indeed for one brief shining moment there was the lyrical grace of a butterfly which uplifted our drab lives.

Ali shot into fame in the 60s which was indeed perhaps the last golden decade for us. 60s gave us so many gigantic icons like Kennedy's, Beatles, Ali, Martin Luther King, Doors, Rolling Stones, Rod Laver, Gary Sobers, Pele....especially for people like us born in the fifties, those two decades will always be our best. With future shock, since the 60s the rate of change is getting progressively telescoped. Hence the mind space impact of the 60s was much more indelible. In most fields the superstars who emerged after the 60s appear puny by comparison.

Since then we live in devalued times. Also with hyper competition there are too many competitors and the marginal value of the more recent entrants is lower. With proliferation of media, technology there is too much of offerings competing for our limited mind space. Hence in this clutter very few can rise head over shoulders over the rest in order to capture our attention. Yes as capitalism matures all heroes are also commoditised without any soul and unique humanness which can occupy our soul mind space.

Most of the heroes today a extremely plastic and sugar coated. We too in view of the mass factory production of heroes, know that these are throwaway heroes who will not lasts the test of time. Newer models pop up every few months which replace the earlier models. Heroes now are not built to last like Ali. 

the trumpsian dilemma before USA

today we are witnessing the classical dilemma of modern man, america and the world. politics all over is indeed a dirty game. in a way it’s power over the masses. it's a process where the vox populi is translated through elections into a government which rules entire population.

today americans are behaving as if they are aghast at the thought of donald trump winning the gop nomination and eventually the general election. they feel as if some monster is going to usurp power. the republicans feel as some rank outsider has come like a bull in a china shop and is upsetting the applecart. this applecart constituted of power brokers, lobbies at pennsylvania avenue and high places, large industry, international trade, big banks, tech titans, ultra rich billionaires led by the Koch Brothers...have practically ruled the roost for the past half century or so...this group has a vice like grip on all elected representatives in the senate and the house of representatives. these vested interests from the background call all the shots. hence democracy is just a charade..a play being directed by these behind the screen directors.

suddenly here comes a person who does not want to play according to the rules of the game. he speaks the language which the common man can relate to...not carefully crafted politicalese which has been scripted out by the powers that be. he has emerged on the main platform as a serious player like a whiff of fresh air like boris becker back in the 80s at wimbledon who swept away all opposition with his unpredictable and fresh style of play. here is a maverick who is original, speaks from the heart, creating his own logic of world view for america which can make it great again.

the rest of the candidates lined up against him look like mannequins, slick well combed hair, plastic, tv stars, well manicured, spouting fixed lines… in front of the formidable trump they look pathetic, puny, malleable, dolls, vapid, devoid of personality… suddenly it seems as if america has been ruled by these puppets for generations...maybe FDR was the last great US president and the rest puppets except obama who too could not stand up to the machinations of the mafia who had tied his hands...sometimes on a clear day you can see forever… this surreal drama now has laid bare the drama which was being played out in the name of presidency….maybe kennedy did not fit the bill….so he had to be removed...later his brother robert...when for one brief shining moment there was camelot….

rubio looks definitely like an ad for brylcreem with with almost gayish overtones and features...cruz look too well manicured...and smooth looking...both of them lack depth and character...like weak sticks which deserved to be blown away by the trump tornado...on the other side there is a jaded hilary pouting her words like a well trained parrot….only sanders has some substance which maybe can withstand the trump gale..but lacks an overpowering personality to counter the trump bully…

donald reminds me of one flew over the cuckoo’s nest where McMurphy was the one saw through the machinations of Nurse Ratched (establishment)...he really wants to liberate the american people from the clutches of the lobbyists... he might be a colourful personality … but that does not detract one mite the missiles he has been hurling at the frightened confused establishment smug after decades of ruling the roost...now they are striking back with vengeance at donald with costly ads pointing out his minor warts and flaws with all seriousness...the more they attack him..the greater his stature seems to grow...nothing sticks to him..a knight in shining teflon armour to whom nothing sticks…

sad this toon war is being played out primetime in front of whole world...degenerating to penile strength comparisons...like clowns,,,even the democrat debates are cliche driven politicalese through heavy filters...hilary is a predictable jaded joke...only sanders is a freak with some sense and intellect… indeed surreal …analysts are saying Trump is 5th material in  terms of mental development and grammar. However highly the others had been educated but finally all that learning last not benefitted the nation during the past 70 years or so. Now the trend is school dropouts have set up the most successful products and businesses in US like Jobs, Bill Gates, et al. trump being a successful business man  would be a sound person i guess to set things right with his strong common sense approach.

america is indeed caught between the scylla and charybdis..the irony of modern times..a defining paradox of 21st century...inequalities rising, real income falling, deficits crossing all sane limits,  violence increasing, terror upping the ante,  racism rampant, drugs, rising trade deficits, unemployment up, healthcare in shambles, corruption spinning out of control, police atrocities……

so who do they turn to for emancipation...to same set of people who are responsible for past rot...or a don quixote who could deliver them from the mess,,,they are in...

Indeed it's difficult for even me to reconcile that how deep the american malaise lies..in a way it is indeed a let down for me after having been a great star struck fan at an highly impressionable age of the kennedys...the magical years when there was camelot for one brief shining moment...one was young and was smitten by apparent glitz and glitter like rock n roll...this was also the period when anti establishment movement reached its peak with rock n roll peaking leading to woodstock.  

But the nixons, reagans, bushes played their narrow oil agenda at the cost of all other far more important agenda which were moved out of sight, soon goldman sachs ceos adorned the treasury functions of the govt. Clearly reason and saner economic agenda were pushed down the priority list….demoniacal financial thughs ruled the roost,  the fiscal deficit burgeoned beyond all sane proportions...the age of air conditioned economies had begun...japan was the first when it entered the loog loog tunnel of recession and quasi negative interest rates in the early 90s... from which it is still to extricate itself from..

Against this long term backdrop in governance of the country was was not truly based upon strategic good for the many...the was a lot of hope on obama...but even his hands were tied,,perhaps its time to break on through to the other side...and start anew from zero base budgeting ….

The time has perhaps come for us to take a decisive lead in global affairs instead of sinking into mediocrity...maybe trump with his fresh, basic and common sense thinking could lift usa from this quagmire.

trump's and america's moment of truth...

At this moment it looks like Donald is going to trumpet his way to glory and the White House. There is a sense of disbelief in most of the things he says. But ironically these seem sound common sense by redneck American standards. He has lashed out against Muslims and Mexicans. He is almost like Hitler reborn. Hitler too was born phoenix like from the ashes of the Great Depression of the 1930s. America too stands totteringly close to the abyss of financial bubbles which are forever morphing into larger bubbles...lending credence to the hypothesis too big to fail... Hence most middle of the road Americans are confused by the gradual decline of America in terms of a world power, economic scenario, wealth, increase in mindless gun violence, police atrocities, climate change, rising inequalities, joblessness, healthcare travails, rise of China, ...the great american dream seems to be in shambles..

Obama had risen like a great black hope who would undo the nightmare which had engulfed the nation for over 25 years. Here was one the best ever presidents to enter the White House….supra intelligent, highly educated, great orator, without no backing of large industry nexus, honest, upright, principled...he had risen like the black knight who would rescue america from all the evil dragons.  But Obama tried his best to set right the behemoth and mammoth beast which was america. However much he tried to put right the morass through his charismatic intelligence…. he was confronted by deeply entrenched vested interests who would let no one upset the status quo. after the financial meltdown, the banks had the bailouts in the way they wanted it. it was indeed business as usual after the loans were repaid and the CEOs were soon rewarded with obscene bonuses.  

Obama also faced blocks in both the senate and house of representatives...both from republicans and his own democrats...indeed navigating through the elected representatives was a nightmare for him or for that matter anyone...the house of cards neatly summarises american politics...the conniving muck...only obama was too classy and principled to side with muck….

obama failed to pass the anti gun laws in spite of all his best efforts….in spite of all the mounting violence… shootings …there were @ 1 point of time 355 shootings of min 4 deaths during a period of 335 days... he had to face insane opposition while trying to push obamacare...his climate fossil fuel proposals have been stalled...ironically by the supreme court...the litany goes on and on…

with all the prevailing confusion in the country...the greater part of the country is fed up of the establishment which they feel has failed them in rescuing the country from the perils which have beset it from all sides….suddenly in the midst of all this there comes round the presidential election...and what are they confronted with? … a melee of mediocre presidential aspirants … none of which looks like lifting the country out of the depression… all the candidates look vapid and sound hollow...like in a puppet show...hilary is increasing looking like an also ran..a loser..a manipulator...sanders bit better..but doesn't look like a winner on his own steam...all the other republicans appear puny and puerile incapable of holding their own…

at this juncture trump appears like a heavyweight champion of yore...another era...another time...cassius clay...aka...muhammad ali...larger than life….pulling sucker punches at the kids rubio and cruz...he has uttered what no one had dared to earlier...the m word...keeping out muslims and mexicans out of US...suddenly people realised here was a man who did not mince his words..was not afraid to speak out what most had secretly harboured in their hearts...since 9/11 there had been growing divide globally against terrorists who in the name of jihad had been taking innocent lives…

here was a  person like superman or batman who dared to speak the unutterables and promised to take action on terror...the other thing which americans had been suffering from was the invasion of the mexicans across a porous border in search of a better life in the land of milk and honey...along with the mexicans poured in drugs from the cartels in mexico, colombia, magic realism and beyond...the story of drugs and mind expansion is another one for another day...suffice it to say...many americans needed these drugs to face life…

at long last...the great white hope...shining knight in white armour who will deliver americans from all vicissitudes… full of bravado..who has rallied all with his anti-m warcry.. the broad middle class is clinging on to him as a saviour from all ails affecting the world’s most advanced and powerful nation..

even though trump himself ….a flamboyant real estate multi billionaire...has so many failings… taxes...using illegal immigrant labour...and so on...still the populace at large are in no mood to listen to these innuendos against him thrown by the flailing opponents at the much publicised eye ball catching debates… like a juggernaut he is rolling from state to state winning caucuses and primaries...looks unstoppable…he is gradually building an aura around him...people feel he can deliver them from all the ills plaguing american society..a blind faith in him since he alone has the courage to name the unnameable...

in a sense he could be better than reagan or bush jr...since he has been a successful businessman…  the moment of truth will be in november… if he wins...will he be able to fix the economy...the ballooning debt..rising inequalities..a demagogue in the white house after … the great obama...perhaps a sign of the despair of the times...the polarisation of society...nemesis…

redeeming part of him...he has ridiculed bush for the war he started in search of elusive weapons of mass destruction...a chimera in the desert...but being the brash person he is he will no doubt get drawn to other wars...even obama could not keep america out of wars...perhaps the world has become a theatre for armaments bashing so the the military industrial complexes can keep on chugging….few of the wars bush sr and jr fought were for oil...perhaps this triggered of a strong dislike for americans by the arabs.

wonder if any american president really has a say in deciding upon these wars. the military industrial complex is just too powerful. the presidents are figureheads...who        are under the thumbs of the powerful lobbies of armaments, finance, etc. these lobbyists operate their machiavellian moves through the members of the two houses of government. hence we see the peculiar combinations of senators and members of the HOR who vote for different bills. the house of cards really portrays this mess so wonderfully.

so at the end does it really matter who is at the helm. the major issues drive themselves. the vested interests ensure their agendas are smoothly passed. so whoever wins will have to toe the lines of the power brokers...but if trump triumphs...he will certainly add lot of colour and interest in these bleak times..

the meaningless ban on marijuana

Strange how society has on one hand categorised as dangerous and criminal innocent people who smoke or imbibe a harmless weed like cannabis, while on the other hand much higher proportion of the populace are addicted to alcohol socially or physiologically which is certainly a much more dangerous intoxicant harmful to the user, family and society just because the liquor industry is very rich with strong lobbies. 

 

The Lancet of UK had brought out a study in 2010, where the findings of a "MCDA (multi criteria decision analysis) model showed that heroin, crack cocaine, and methamphetamine were the most harmful drugs to individuals (part scores 34, 37, and 32, respectively), whereas alcohol, heroin, and crack cocaine were the most harmful to others (46, 21, and 17, respectively). Overall, alcohol was the most harmful drug (overall harm score 72), with heroin (55) and crack cocaine (54) in second and third places.

 

Dr Nutt who was part of a joint research team of three which published the above, in his blog in 2011 wrote "Taken together we estimate that alcohol is at least twice as harmful to users than cannabis and 5 times more harmful to society. The obvious conclusion is that the current legislation criminalising cannabis users is illogical as well as inhumane and may be causing much more harm than it does good". This shows that on the harmful index, marijuana at around 26 was far below alcohol's 72. 

 

The different types intoxicants have been broadly categorised into opiates, cannabis, barbiturates, alcohol, amphetamine. Very broadly speaking, if we were to rank them on a spectrum very bad for self, family and society - alcohol emerges as the worst, followed by heroin of the opiate family, and some other derivatives of the same family, followed by barbiturates, amphetamine. Cannabis is at the bottom as the least harmful intoxicant. Based upon addictive potential vs effective to lethal dose ratio, marijuana is far less harmful than both alcohol and tobacco.

 

 

In fact, one can go a step further and argue that certain substances like peyote, hashish, dhatura have been used since time immemorial for spiritual purposes…. cosmic consciousness, self realisation, satori, nirvana…In fact in the east, especially India, millions of mystics, babas, gurus smoke a lot of ganja, opium, etc in their quest for spiritual realisation and also as a way of life. apart from them, millions of lower class and middle class people both in rural areas and cities have their daily dose of ganja, etc. None of them suffer from any abnormal behaviour in excess of what is found in other classes. in certain parts of eastern India, especially in Orissa, ganja, bhang and opium are freely taken in certain districts, towns. Even the old are administered opium regularly to help them cope with old age....

 

Fair amount of research has been carried out in this space. Some of the greatest intellectuals, artists, rock n roll and doctors who have espoused the mind expansion way of life to name a few which readily come to mind are: Dr Aldous Huxley, Dr Timothy Leary, Dr Allan Watts, Dr Allen Ginsberg, Tom Wolfe, John Lennon, Jerry Garcia, Bob Dylan, Bob Marley…. and the list goes on. The entire anti-establishment culture of the 60s was fueled by the sweet smoke of marijuana. The hippy and beat generation were the first to fight against the illegal ban of cannabis. 

 

History is replete with cycles of banning and re-allowing various psychoactive substances. Banning has never been an effective method. Humankind like in the garden of eden always craves for the forbidden fruit. Prohibition has never succeeded in any society. Tobacco, opium, alcohol, cannabis...have been prohibited at various points of history and subsequently some of them have been legally made available. Strangely cannabis which is the least harmful is still illegal in most parts of the world. 

 

With climate change on the rampage, marijuana should be the green intoxicant option over the industrial alcohol. 

 

But starting with US cannabis is staging a comeback. Presently it is legal in some form or the other in more than half the states in US. It is expected to be legalised across US within a decade. this will surely set in motion a global wave wherein most places in the world will have marijuana freely. 

 

Bob Marley who was a Rastafarian devoted his life to the spread of one love and free marijuana smoking. Am 64. Waiting for the day within my lifetime when the ban on cannabis will be lifted. More importantly the conditioning of society must change which views cannabis in a poor light whereas alcohol is socially acceptable inspite of all its negatives. 

 

The best part is that cannabis is the middle of the road psychoactive substance choice in terms of physical and psychological addiction, makes people peace loving, increases creativity, cost, least harmful to health, high lethal dose level...indeed it is the dream substance which can emancipate humankind from the morass it finds itself in in terms of violence, terror, financial collapse, economic over leverage, hyper consumerism and competition, climate collapse, high energy intensive lifestyles

Last and Final Call - COP21

1st Dec 15

Finally we are there. Here is now. Future is now. After an interminable wait the last and final call for postponing the hurtle towards the abyss of climate collapse has begun in Paris..the most beautiful and intellectual of cities..which has been the vanguard of the free world with the cry of liberty, equality, 

fraternity...in the aftermath of the dastardly terror strikes a couple of weeks ago...indeed a fitting 

metro to host this most important of conferences which may determine the future course of the planet..Paris is indeed the apt place for such discussions.

Leaders have all the strategies which can limit carbon emissions. This time the realization is perhaps at the highest in terms of sense of urgency, time running out, need for effective practical steps which will effectively reduce carbon emissions. The major focus is on reducing carbon emissions.     

12th Dec 15

COP21 talks over. Last minute midnight oil negotiations have come to an end. Couple of hours ago 

document has been released. News channels say 1.5C cap on temp increase has been agreed. What 

does it mean? Since advent of industrial society they claim average temp have risen by only 1C. But 

in my experience during the past 23 years temp in Bengaluru has risen by about 2C. Rest of India the picture is the same. Like in the x files there is a giant conspiracy by the governments to hide the truth.  

Crux of the matter is that the developing ecos would definitely like to provide electricity to their poor, but the cost of clean energy is high. The incremental cost is being sought from the so called rich 

nations. But ironically the rich nations are up their necks in debt which has crossed perilous levels. 

Indeed a catch 22 situation. 

19th Dec 15

A week over since COP21. Lot of awareness created all over the world. But as i have said earlier 

most of are no nearer the truth. Its indeed the age of confusion and obfuscation. Everyone is speaking in different tongues. Climate change which has a complex interdependent causal effect relationship 

is being now mostly attributed to carbon emissions. Its true that carbon emissions have a direct 

correlation to global temperature rise.   

1st Jan 16

Three weeks since COP21. Not much has emerged in terms of clear way forward, except the final 

draft which was an art in deal making where the diverse opinions of 160 countries were distillated 

into a HCFof options. More worrying is the approval by respective governments. Finally the 100 bn $ flow from rich to poor conveniently at the distance of 2020... So much can happen between now and then.

But in concrete terms nothing is changing at ground level. Everything is moving at cross purposes...

higher production of cars and cities trying desperately to reduce use of cars. Migration to cities 

unabated. Climate change has increased exponentially during and after COP21 ironically. Still 

skeptics all over are questioning climate evangelists. More in my next blog.