The Winner? According to the survey, Vienna in Austria is the best city in the world to live in with the highest quality of life, for the second year in a row. European cities dominate the top 30, with Zurich & Geneva of Switzerland scoring second and third respectively. Vancouver in Canada and Auckland in New Zealand are tied at fourth place, with German Cities Düsseldorf, Frankfurt and Munich completing the top 8.

Other rankings include Sydney Australia at number 10, Copenhagen in Denmark at 11 and Amsterdam in the Netherlands at 13 (take that Bill O’Reilly you massive idiot). Canada scores well above the USA with Vancouver at 4th, Ottawa at 14th, Toronto at 16th, Montreal at 21st and Calgary at 28th.

Both the UK and the USA scored pretty poorly compared to the rest of the world. The only city from England to make the top 50 was London at number 39, out placed by Dublin at 26th. The highest ranking city for the USA is Honolulu at number 31, followed by San Francisco in joint 32nd. Japan’s highest entry was Tokyo at number 40. Paris was France’s highest scoring city at number 34, just ahead of Helsinki of Finland and Brisbane Australia.

New York City and Seattle rounded up the bottom of the top 50, just behind Chicago and the USA capitol Washington. In the Middle East, Dubai and Abu Dhabi scored 75th and 83rd respectively, and last place on the list of 221 countries went to Baghdad in Iraq. Iraq’s score improved slightly from last year, but remained in last place due to it’s lack of security and stability.

A second list was also released showing the top 50 Eco-Friendly cities in the world. Canadian City Calgary scored highest, with Canada also achieving 3rd (Ottawa) and joint 13th (Vancouver & Montreal). Aberdeen is the cleanest UK city in at number 19, with Belfast (30) and Glasgow (47) also making the top 50. Surprisingly, Eco capital of the world Copenhagen in Denmark made only 8th on the list.

You can see the complete lists here

Lost followed a seemingly random group of survivors of a flight from Australia to Los Angeles that crash landed on a mysterious Island before reaching it’s destination. The show told the story of  their struggle to survive on the Island, as well as the stories of the characters previous lives via flashbacks.

My first memory of Lost is the first UK trailer in the summer of 2005. Living in the UK, I missed the initial launch of the first season in the USA, yet the hype had made it across the sea sooner than its August 2005 UK premier. Lost was an instant hit the world over and for many reasons. Perhaps the most important of all was the timing. The dawn of the digital age was in full swing and the Internet was the driving force behind changes in pretty much everything, and the revolution of the way we communicate.

The past decade saw Television move in a new direction. As technology progressed, it became easier and cheaper than ever to get movie quality special effects into television budgets. Still this didn’t stop Lost’s Pilot episode becoming the most expensive TV episode of all time. But to this day it is still hailed as one of the best episodes of any TV show ever. It set the tone of action packed, mystery filled drama that immediately got audiences asking questions and craving answers. This was not your business as usual American TV Drama.

It was closer to a movie than a TV show in both quality and scale. This was not the story of one man, or one island. It was the story of a big group of people, who had to discover each other at the same as time we discovered them. It had everything, and yet was unlike anything else that had ever been on television before. The first season was flawless, arguably the best series of any TV show still to this day. It was perhaps the mystery written into the show that made it really stand out. Each week would leave the audience with more questions than answers. And it was these questions that go people talking.

The timing of the show, coinciding with the way the internet was revolutionising the way we communicate, that played right into it’s hands. Everyone wanted to know why there was a polar bear on the island, or what was in the hatch. Everyone had a theory. The internet meant that we were no longer confined to talk about last nights TV around the water cooler, but could share thoughts and ideas with people anywhere in the world at any time. The show had been very well thought out and the continuity and consistency was unparalleled. The writers made it knowing that every single part of every episode would be scrutinised for clues to solve some of the mysteries of the show. Every line, every prop, every single frame could hold a clue from the writers to the fans. The writers knew it and played along with it. It was this communication between the writers and the fans, and vies versa, that really took Lost to the next level.

Fans flocked to the internet to find answers and share their ideas on the mysteries of the show. It was truly the first show to create a real community on the web, with sites like DarkUFO and Lostpedia becoming havens of information on the subject. It was also the dawn of the Podcast and fans flocked to download the latest theories from the biggest names in the community. The writers paid close attention to fans reactions to every twist and tale. Never before did an audience have so much of a say into what they wanted from a scripted show. It lead some critics of the show to claim that the writers were making it up as they were going along. The claim, denied by the writers, may have been true to a small extent, but certainly worked in the shows favour when it came to eliminating dull characters (Nikki & Paulo in Season 3) that fans quickly grew tired of. But the writers never really deviated from the overall path of the show.

Lost not only worked for the hardcore fans that delved themselves into the mythology of the show, it also appealed to the casual viewer. TV shows before Lost generally followed the idea that you had to dumb down the narrative to make it appeal to a large audience. Lost managed to prove that that was no longer the case. It may have been the overall story ark that brought the hardcore fans back every week, but they did not make up for even half of it’s millions of weekly viewers. Lost managed to intertwine an amazing map of story arks both long term and short term. And it was perhaps these easier to understand short term character plots & developments that consistently kept the average viewer tuning in.

Despite all its hype, all it’s mystery and it’s massive external community, it was Lost’s characters that were the real stars of the show. What a lot of people failed to realise, despite constant reassurance from the writers, was this was a story about these individuals and not about the island or the mysteries behind it. It was these people, these flawed individuals forced to live together or die alone, that really made Lost excellent Television.

So when it came to the final season, we were promised the answers that everyone craved. The writers knew they would never please everyone, and the fans knew that they couldn’t all be right. The writers wanted a legacy. They would never end Lost in such a way to ruin its status they had worked so long on building. True fans of the show (myself included) could figure out that we would never get all the answers to everything on the show. But that’s not what the show was about. It was about the characters and their path to redemption. And that is exactly what they got.

After watching the finale, I can comprehensively say that it gave me everything I wanted as a Lost fan. It was the damn near perfect way to end the perfect TV show. There were no big mythological answers or huge revelations, just the very emotional and sombre endings of the stories of these characters. The writers made it very rewarding for those of us who have been there since the very beginning and ended it the way they clearly set out to from the start. It was probably the strongest emotion reaction I have ever felt from TV or film and one I feel is unlikely to be beaten. I hope that when I die I get to hang out in a room with all the cool people from my life.

So for me personally, Lost has to go down as one of, if not THE best TV show of all time. It consistently pushed the boundaries of TV and was consistently flawless on almost every level. So Thank you all to everyone involved! Well Played Chaps!

It’s understandable then that Facebook can regularly make the headlines, often being criminalised for something it didn’t personally do. Much like how Grand Theft Auto will get blamed for every crime committed by anyone who has ever played it. But that’s another story.

Facebook has hit the headlines big time in France recently as a new craze sweeps the nations capital of Paris.  Dubbed “Facebook aperitif” in France, it is basically a cocktail party that gets listed as an event on the website, which gets shared between friends and that anyone can attend. Recent parties have been attended by an estimated 10,000 people each night in Paris and Montpellier.

A Facebook organised Party in the London Underground, after it was announced drinking was to be banned.

But before we can all go jumping on a flight to Paris, take a minute to morn the sad death of a young man at one such party yesterday. A 21 year old male died after sliding down a bridge railing and hitting his head whilst heavily intoxicated. It is obviously a tragic accident. A very similar thing happened to a man of the same age who went to my school not long ago so I can certainly appreciate how tragic it must be for the people involved. But already people are blaming Facebook and the parties for the death.

On the same night, authorities who got wind of the event banned the sale of alcohol but it was impossible to enforce. Fifty-seven people were hospitalized for drinking too much and 41 people were jailed. Sounds like a average night out in Cardiff to be fair. If you are flying to France anytime soon, be aware that the next party is planned for May 23rd at the Champ de Mars near the Eiffel Tower. Police have already issued warnings on Facebook claiming the party will be illegal, and are expected to be their in force

Yesterday, in the wake of a breakdown of talks between Labour and the Liberal Democrats, Primeminister Gordon Brown stepped down from his role, opening the door for Conservative leader David Cameron to essentially take control of the country. After Brown yesterday announced that he was to step down as Labour leader, all expected to see a Labour – Lib Dem Coalition to take control of parliament. But before it became apparent that talks between the two parties had failed, Brown announced that he was conceding leadership and was off to see the queen. Less than 2 hours later and we have a new Primeminister in David Cameron. Less than another 2 hours later and we have a new cabinet. That’s British Politics.

So we now have a Commander in Chief that only 34,000 people voted for. That is the 34,000 people in his constituency of Witney. No one else voted for him. Only 36% of the country voted for his party. And this is supposed to be democracy. The country voted for no single party, so that means the people we did not vote into power get to make up their own mind about who runs the country. It’s the system that is broken, not the country.

I am however glad to see Nick Clegg taking an important role as the Deputy Primeminister. I am also glad to see him apparently getting on with Cameron, dispute my personal opinions of him. No body wants to see a dysfunctional government. I am glad to see what is hopefully the end of Peter Mandleson. William Hague as foreign secretary? Is that really the impression you want to give to the world? New Equality Minister Theresa May voted against the repeal of section 28.  And Osborne for chancellor? No thanks. If you are actually serious about combating the deficit, then why are you going to spend £100 billion on replacing the ageing Trident Nuclear missiles? I WILL NOT continue to live in a country that would rather spend that much money on something that can only be used to kill thousands of people, than on health-care or schooling or public services. We do not need nuclear weapons. Period.

The one good thing that could come from this is a compromise of the all the voiced of the British people might be achieved. But it’s early days, and it has never worked before and is unlikely to now. In the run up to the election, the Tories had almost opposite views to the Lib Dems. Are we supposed to believe that they can now run a country in harmony? We can only hope.

We don’t need electoral reform. We need social political reform. Will we get it? No. Because that’s not what politicians do and that is certainly not what Conservatism is about.

Conservative: “Disposed to preserve existing conditions, institutions, etc., or to restore traditional ones, and to limit change.”

A vote for change my arse. Enjoy the furniture in No.10 Cameron. Who knows how long you will sit there. Cold War Kids – Hospital Beds

Tomorrow will be the first General Election where any of the 3 leading parties could actually win in (my) living memory. But this is not a good thing. We are not choosing between 3 worthy candidates, we are being forced to choose the lesser of many evils. Our votes are not being cast for who we agree with the most. Instead people are more motivated to vote for who they disagree with the least. This is not democracy. This is Politics: a outdated, irrelevant, pompous, ignorant farce. Giving us the public the illusion that we actually get a say in our country.

So lets take a look at the “Options” for those about to Vote:

Labour

Labour are massively incompetent, quite ignorant and fairly stupid. They have not broken Britain as the Tories will claim, they have simply made us broke. Labours biggest crime of their previous years in office has been their hideously wasteful spending. For more on this you can read my previous post on the Failings of Government. Labours spending behaviour often resembled that of how I imagine a group of pre-school children, were they given No.10’s annual budget. Spending Millions on things that seem cool, that they then get bored of after 10 minutes and end up throwing away. Their intentions are good (well at least they think they are), but Labour have not supplied us with a satisfactory form of democracy or government in their term in office, and for this reason you should not vote for them. Rewarding a lesser failure than the previous administration should not be acceptable.

Conservatives

The Tories are severely outdated, irrelevant, ignorant, prejudice old men that should have no place in politics or this country. They are a dying breed of Brits from a dying time and they know it. They however do have one thing on their side. Wealth. And they are using it to try to persuade the country that a vote for them is a vote for change. The only change it would bring is the change back to the old ways of feeding the rich and repressing the poor.

Make no mistake. A vote for the Conservative party is a vote against years of progress. It is not a step back. It is a giant leap back. Do not think that it is your only option if you do not want to vote Labour. Both Tories & Labour will tell you that a vote for the Lib Dems is a wasted one. But that is because they both know that this time they actually have a chance.

Liberal Democrats

For the first time in years, the Lib Dems actually have a realistic shot at winning the election. But only if people lose the stigma of them being inexperienced and unable to handle themselves in government. A stigma maintained only by the opposing parties. A Facebook poll of 500,000 voters put Nick Clegg with 41% of the votes yesterday, way ahead of both Gordon Brown and David Cameron. This is the only real vote for change. A vote for other parties would simply mean business as usual. Nick Clegg fared far better than his counter parts in the live debates and actually has policies that seem to be in the best interests of everyone. If you are going to vote, vote Lib Dem.

As for myself. I am not voting. I am not voting for a system I don’t believe in. Our political system doesn’t work. Politicians ignorantly spend more time trying to justify their jobs than they do doing them. The theatre of parliament is grotesque, outdated and irrelevant. I will not vote to keep it.

Coldplay – Politik

After a year of stalling a scare tactics from the opposing Republican party, the Democrats have finally managed to pass their own bill of Healthcare reform threw the house by a tiny majority of 219 to 212. The bill had no Republican backing, further showing how the Democrats have wasted so much time when they have had the majority vote all along.

The bill extends coverage to 32 million more Americans, and marks the biggest change to the US Healthcare system in decades. It is the first real achievement of the Obama administration after a year of frustrating and often crass opposition from the Republican Party, making a mockery of the political system.

“We proved that we are still a people capable of doing big things. This legislation will not fix everything that ails our Healthcare system, but it moves us decisively in the right direction.” Obama

The new legislation means health insurance will be extended to nearly all Americans, paid for by new taxes imposed on the wealthy, and restrictive insurance practices such as refusing to cover people with pre-existing medical conditions will be outlawed. A move that really anyone with a soul could not refuse. The Republicans have vowed to continue fighting it.

Australians have the biggest ecological footprint out of any people on the planet, cause the extinction of more mammals than any other country.

Recently overheard a loud whining response from an Australian when asked why they celebrate Australia Day – (note it’s interesting that there is no reference to the landing of the British near Sydney)

We have pride in our nation, we have pride in our sporting teams, we have significantly better hospitals, government, court system, safety net, pension system, banking system than the UK. We never went into recession our unemployment only rose to 5.6%. political correctness does not rule here, plus we have the best two major citys in the universe Sydney and Melbourne. And surrounded by the warm blue pacific ocean as we are sinking to nothing our tiny carbon footprint we are the lucky country, none better. We pity you Brits having to shell out loads of money for flights to Australia just to grab a few weeks of paradise.

Don’t listen to the Aussies talking themselves up – it’s what they do best. In reality their country is likely to be seeing environmental refugees fleeing the place before long: for ’sun-drenched’ read dangerously high UV readings with the highest skin cancer rate in the world’. 80% of the country is inhospitable and its economic strength is built on digging huge wounds out of the earth and selling the rocks to the Chinese.

G’day

For politicians, the appeal of spending billions on acting on climate change is not great at a time when most of their economies are still shrinking. This is perhaps the key subtext as to why the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference was a complete failure. Now the New Economics Foundation (Nef) has released a new report claiming that global economic growth “is not possible” if nations are to tackle climate change. The report also claims that only “unprecedented and probably impossible” carbon reductions would be needed to hold temperature rises below 2C.

“We urgently need to change our economy to live within its environmental budget. There is no global, environmental central bank to bail us out if we become ecologically bankrupt.”

As bleak as it sounds, it does not mean we are all doomed. It simply means that if we carry on as the way things are, we are doomed. This is a fact. Western economies are built on a lie, that you can consume the worlds recourse as much as you like for as long as you like. The blueprints of our economies are unsustainable: fact. Continuing to ignore this fact will be the end of us, but seems to be the number one priority for politicians and business leaders. Our economies simply cannot keep growing forever. We are trapped in a cycle of boom and bust and sooner or later the busts will become too big to fix.

The report concluded that for a economic growth rate of just 3%, the carbon emissions of the global economy would need to fall by 95% by 2050 from 2002 levels. This would require an average annual reduction of 6.5%. “Magic bullets – such as carbon capture and storage, nuclear or even geo-engineering – are potentially dangerous distractions from more human-scale solutions”

The only way to prevent dangerous climate change is to fix our broken economic system. We could have economic growth whilst preventing climate change, but with the current system we can have only neither. It may well be in most individuals personal interests to continue to ignore these facts but it is in humanities best interest that we go back to the drawing board and design a system that works for everybody and our planet.

The political system is not the only broken part of your country. The banking system collapsed in 2008 and what has changed? Nothing. Change must come from you.

Don’t fear change. Without change there is no progress. Don’t let people tell you that the way things are is OK. Don’t forget that we live in a world where trillions of dollars are given to millionaires who gambled all of your money away, when there are millions of people dying of starvation and curable illnesses because they can’t afford to live. A charity could have ended world hunger tens of times over with a fraction of the money used in the bailouts of the banks. What are you going to do about it?

But what will be achieved? There are two sides to the conference. Developed Nations and Developing Nations. Developed Nations are those such as USA, Britain and rich western nations, that essentially became developed threw their mass consumption of fossil fuels over the past 2 centuries. Developing Nations are countries such as China and India and many other poorer nations that historically have emitted much less climate warming gasses emitted from burning fossil fuels. But these developing nations need to continue to use fossil fuels to power their economies to bring their people out of poverty. Whereas developed nations already have a much higher percentage of their population living a better quality of life.

Only a deal on a global scale will do, Developing countries like China and India are already fast becoming the worlds largest emitters of greenhouse gasses. But these countries argue that they are less historically responsible for climate change, having emitted less over time than developed countries such as the USA. As a result China and India will not sign a deal that prevents them from continuing to grow over the coming decades, claiming the USA and other developed countries should make up for their historical responsibility and face harsher restrictions. Naturally the USA will not sign any agreement that will damage themselves economically such as capping emissions from their businesses. Which brings us to what this conference will really be about: Money.

The problem with the political system is money. Money is power. Politicians will not make any decisions without putting their economy first. Over half the world still lives in poverty. Millions don’t even have food to eat or clean water to drink. Yet world leaders spent Trillions of Dollars, Pounds and Euro’s propping up failed businesses in fear their collapse would damage their economies, there for damaging their power. A tiny fraction of the money spent bailing out the banks could have ended world hunger. The grand sum could have ended poverty for Millions if not Billions of people. So we now live in a world where out banks, full of stuff that doesn’t really exist, are put before people. But not only people, the planet and everything on it.

The reason a deal (or at least a deal that actually meets the recommendations of climate scientists) is unlikely is simply because the decisions are up to politicians. Politicians who care only about how damaging a emissions cap may be to their economies. But if by some miracle a appropriate deal is achieved, money lost from damages economies will likely be recouped by increasing taxes, so it is us the people who really pay the price, at a time where we will be also be paying off the debt of the banking system that failed us. Which leads me on to the real cause of climate change.

Over-consumption is all around us and exists with nearly everything we do. Over-consumption is the simple fact that most of the worlds resources are finite. The fact of the matter is we consumer far more than we give back to the world. The society we live in is unsustainable, just like the banking system, when we carry on consuming more than is created. So that is essentially the biggest problem we face, so why aren’t politicians doing anything about it? Because it is consumption that is the fuel that drives their economies and gives them more power. When asked what the American people should do the day after the September 11th attacks, G.W Bush replied simply “Shop”.

99% of everything purchased in the United States is consumed or thrown away within 6 months. These things need resources to make, and massive amounts of power to manufacture, power that comes from fossil fuels that in turn further warm the climate.

The problem of Over-consumption is a problem that simply has to be solved, now or when its too late. A small step to reduce over-consumption could in reality eclipse any actions on reducing emissions that are likely to come out of the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference. But it wont happen. Why? Because Over-Consumption makes the resources we use in every day life finite. If its finite you can regulate the cost of it, simply supply and demand. If there is less of something and more people want/need it, it is worth more than if its plentiful.

This is why oil companies purposely do not dig for new oil until their reserve levels are very low, because they less they have available, the more its worth.

Unless there is a drastic change in politics over the next 5 years, I expect our environment and the people of this world will be prioritised below our economies. So long as that is the case its a very sad world we live in. One that might not be around much longer.

The campaign is part of their Plan A website, which launched in 2007 with 100 commitments to achieve within 5 years. Targets include combating climate change, reducing waste, the use of sustainable materials, ethical trade and helping customers lead healthier lifestyles.

Part of the new climate change campaign includes a virtual patchwork quilt, where users can each design and add their own patch and the final piece will be presented to downing street shortly before the Copenhagen Climate change Conference.

M&S, perhaps best known for their lingerie and Christmas hampers, have pledged to make all their UK & Irish operations carbon neutral by 2012, aiming to rely entirely on renewable energy and resorting to carbon offsetting only as a last resort. They are also tackling the issue of Un-sustainability and Over-consumption head on, promoting people to recycle old furniture and electricals. They are also transforming the way they source their food, moving all their duck, turkey and geese to free range farming and have also introduced clothing ranges made from organic linen and cotton.

“Copenhagen is a unique opportunity to do the right thing. Doing nothing is not an option” Executive chairman Sir Stuart Rose claims.

We’re doing this because it’s what you want us to do. It’s also the right thing to do. We’re calling it Plan A because we believe it’s now the only way to do business. There is no Plan B.

Dubai in 1990

The United Arab Emirates has become one of the fastest growing economies on the planet, and based on based on various socioeconomic indicators it is now one of the most developed countries in the world. Much of their wealth and economic power has come from years of booming export of natural resources like petroleum and natural gas. Although Dubai has become much less dependant for income from these resources, they still play a vital role in the economy for Abu Dhabi.

This is Dubai 2007, the same road pictured above

UAE has an estimated population of 6 million people. To put that into perspective, New York alone has a population of 8 million. Nearly 2.5 million people now live in Dubai, but a mere 17% is thought to be Emirati. Temporary construction workers outnumber residents by 8 to 1.

Construction in Dubai is simply massive. It’s estimated that they are using 15-25% of the worlds cranes in Dubai alone. The city has become not only a playground for the rich and famous, but for architects too. Every building is unique and interesting. Everyone by now will recognise the The Burj al-Arab Hotel, the world first and only 7 star hotel, that has been built on a man made island off the shore of Dubai.

This is the year to book your flights to Dubai as construction nears completion on the worlds tallest ever constructed building. So big in fact that it broke the record over 2 years ago way before it was even completed. The Burj Dubai is 40% taller than anything ever constructed by man before and has taken only 5 years to build. It is 818 meters tall and has 162 floors. It will be completed on December 20th.

Here is a picture taken just a few days ago after the removal of the last remaining crane.

But Dubai is not the only booming city. Abu Dhabi is also developing at an astonishing rate. Its estimated that Abu Dhabi will make $800 Billion from its oils surplus between 2005 and 2020. It’s already attracting some big names. The first Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will take place in less than 2 weeks, bringing an end what has been a strange season in formula 1 with the first half day/half night grand prix.

Make no mistake that Dubai and Abu Dhabi is where the worlds wealth is moving to… and who can blame them.

Why is it a bigger problem than climate change? Because climate change is just one of the problems that is caused by Over-consumption. You can argue over the existence of climate change or global warming all you like, our way of life is unsustainable. Fact. Dangerous climate change could be prevented with some small but significant changes to the current cycle of stuff.

Here is a very interesting video explaining the way our system works, exploiting our planet and its people. We take so much for granted in the developed world and we are told not to question it. But have you every stopped to think about the stuff you have and buy. If you think $50 is expensive for an mp3 player, have you actually stopped to think about all the different parts that have been extracted and molded and put together and transported from all around the world.

Have you stopped to think how much it would cost you to make the furniture you conveniently buy from the mall, if you had to go to the Amazon to get the wood, pay for the electricity to power the machines to cut it, and pay for the shipping to transport it to your house. Whether its cars, vans, skateboards, shoes, dresses, food… all of these things are made at a cost far greater than you or the manufacturers pa

He wants people to use the climate change crisis as an opportunity to “Become Human Again”, calling for an end to “addictive and self-destructive behaviour that has damaged their souls”. He claims that many people have allowed themselves to become “addicted to fantasies about prosperity and growth, dreams of wealth without risk and profit without cost”. Well said, I couldn’t agree more.

Having met Dr Williams, head of the Church of England, in person I was surprised to find that he was actually quite grounded and intelligent. So it is good to see someone with a large influence take climate change and the state of society seriously. He claims the consequences of our now status-quo lifestyles of greed and ignorance for self destructive behaviour is causing the human soul  to become “one of the foremost casualties of environmental degradation”.

Here is more of his lecture:

Many of the things which have moved us towards ecological disaster have been distortions of who and what we are and their overall effect has been to isolate us from the reality we’re part of. Our response to this crisis needs to be, in the most basic sense, a reality check. We need to keep up pressure on national governments; there are questions only they can answer about the investment of national resources. We need equally to keep up pressure on ourselves and to learn how to work better as civic agents. When we believe in transformation at the local and personal level, we are laying the sure foundations for change at the national and international level. If I ask what’s the point of my undertaking a modest amount of recycling my rubbish or scaling down my air travel, the answer is not that this will unquestionably save the world within six months, but in the first place it’s a step towards liberation from a cycle of behaviour that is keeping me, indeed most of us, in a dangerous state — dangerous, that is, to our human dignity and self-respect.

Dr Williams, unlike most people, seems to understand that climate change is as much of a social problem as it is an environmental one.  Only changes in society as a whole can lead to the changes needed to reduce emissions and build a sustainable future.

The Dollar has always been regarded as a “safe haven” for investors over the past decades. America boasts the biggest economy in the world and the biggest bank, The Federal Reserve. But the credit crunch and the following recession have set in motion the inevitable decline of the once powerful green-back. Investors have turned to more reliable and sustainable means of investing their money. Gold has just hit an all time high of over $1000 per ounce. Commodity backed currencies like the Australian dollar are now soaring.

$12 Trillion

We all know by now why some of America’s biggest banks failed this time last year, and how some of them were saved. The Tax payer had to pay the price so these banks and the economy could live to fight another day. 1$ Trillion later and the quick fix to the failing banking sector has left a permanent scar on the dollar bill. America is now an astonishing $12 Trillion in debt.

But the guys at the Federal Reserve are using some dangerous tactics to save themselves. Because a weak currency is not all bad news. Firstly it boosts exports, as more foreign importers rush to snap up cheaper goods. A weaker dollar also lowers the value of America’s debt. This seems to be the Federal Reserves plan of choice for solving the massive economic issues they face at the moment. They have even been accelerating the decline of the Dollar themselves, on purpose, with excessive ‘quantitative easing’. Don’t know what that is? It’s because they coined a name that the average person wont understand. Quantitative Easing is literally printing new money and feeding it into the economy.

‘Quantitative Easing’ (printing new money)

It’s not uncommon in times of financial difficulty. It has been used by quite a few nations during this recession, including the UK, to help supply the demand for loans as banks ran out of cash. But again, at best it is a quick fix. Long term it pushes up inflation, loan interest rates and reduces the worth of the currency. The huge issue now is that the reputation of the Dollar has been weakened so much by the credit crunch, that further weakening it’s worth could lead it’s steady and inevitable decline into a nosedive. The British Pound is not looking too good either, sinking to lows against the Dollar, Euro and Yen. They too are also facing massive debt, resorting to selling off assets to try to claw back some of the £175 Billion shortfall in public spending they face this year alone. Not to mention the £1 Trillion in national debt they face after years of wasteful spending. The BBC’s Robert Preston provides perhaps the best insight on British financial fiasco’s.

Last week Asian central banks were forced to prop up the dollar to limit the damage that the currency’s weakness could cause to their export industries. Central banks in Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, the Philippines and Thailand intervened by buying dollars after the currency came under pressure, in an attempt to safeguard their own exports.

The Inevitable Shift

The decline of the Dollar is inevitable for several reasons. Economic power has been shifting from the west to the east for many years and is showing only signs of accelerating. The American financial system is unsustainable and failing. Smart investors know it and have been moving their investments East. The only people who don’t seem to realize it are Americans themselves. Economies are built on businesses and industries and the resources they have at their disposal. America is running out of the latter. The price of oil is directly linked to the wealth of the dollar. High oil prices further push down the value of the Dollar as the US has to import 80% of its oil demand from foreign suppliers. America as a whole is unsustainable. Over-consumption and wasteful spending are almost built into the way of life for many Americans after years of being the richest nation on earth. America is in debt, big debt, and printing money is not going to fix that.

Meanwhile the resource rich Middle East is reaping the benefits of the higher price of oil, and China thrives from loaning massive amounts of stockpiled cash failing economies in the west with interest. The truth is America really has nothing to offer compared to the rising economic powerhouses of China, India, the United Arab Eremites and even the European Union. It could be less than a year until the Euro passes parity with the Pound for the first time. From then on it will probably be only a matter of time before Britain becomes one of the last European nations take take on the Euro. What then for the failing Dollar? Perhaps the Amero will be a last ditch resort to save the west from economic gloom.