Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – A global wheat crisis has been caused by Russian’s invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing war there, which has drastically reduced Ukraine’s wheat production and exports, while the resultant international sanctions have also somewhat reduced Russian production. Now, there is yet another complication, as the fertile wheat-growing regions of North […]
Palestinians: Bust of 4500-yr.-old Goddess Anat found in Gaza “attests the Depth of Ancient Palestinian Civilization”
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – A farmer plowing his land in Khan Younis, the Gaza Strip, recently found the head of a statuette of the ancient Levantine goddess Anat from 4,500 years ago, AFP reports. Everything in Israel/Palestine is political, including, and maybe especially, archeology. In 2500 BCE the ancient Levantine civilization, sometimes called “proto-Canaanite,” […]
Fossil-Fuel Burning Humans are as Catastrophic for Sea Life as the Chicxulub Meteor was that also killed the Dinosaurs
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – A new study by Justin L. Penn and Curtis Deutsch shows that over the next 200 years, humanity could kill off half of all marine life by by pumping billions of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. CO2 is a greenhouse gas that traps the sun’s heat on earth […]
Could Marjorie Taylor Greene’s “Satan’s Controlling” the Catholic Church Stance Break up the Republican Party?
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – In an interview with a far-right Roman Catholic pundit, conspiracy theorist and extremist white nationalist Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) discussed those church groups, such as Catholic Relief Services, who seek to help resettled undocumented immigrants and refugees as satanic. She said, “What it is, is Satan’s controlling the church. […]
Biggest Solar-and-Battery Installation in World, at Darwin, Australia, to Power Singapore 3,000 miles Away
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Moving the world to renewable energy can’t be done purely on the basis of the nation-state. The challenge of the climate crisis requires cross-border cooperation among nations. Sun Cable‘s plans for an enormous 20 gigawatt (GW) solar farm outside Darwin, Australia, along with 42 GW of battery storage, which will […]
Disney Targeted on Gay Rights by both DeSantis’ Christian Taliban and Saudi Muslim Obscurantism
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Florida Governor Ron DeSantis notoriously just came after the Walt Disney Co. for its opposition, if belated, to his “don’t say gay” legislation forbidding school teachers to mention the subject of gay relationships to children under 9. The act vaguely insists that mentions before children older than that had to […]
France: Macron’s Pyrrhic Victory — Is his Neoliberalism Producing the Far Right?
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Romain Brunet at France 24 termed Emannuel Macron’s win in the presidential election a “Pyrrhic victory.” In 280-275 BC, Pyrrhus, the King of Epirus on the west coast of Greece, launched a war against the Roman Republic. He won some battles, but at such great cost that he may as […]
E. Orthodox Christians in Jerusalem accuse Israel of Violating Freedom of Worship over Easter Holy Fire Ceremony
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Palestine’s foreign ministry on Saturday called on the Biden administration to pressure Israel to cease its encroachments on the religious liberties of Palestinian Christians and Muslims in Jerusalem. The issue shifted this weekend to Israeli restrictions on Christian crowds flocking to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher for Eastern Orthodox […]
For First Time, Israeli Security deploys Tear-Gas Drones against Palestinians worshiping at the al-Aqsa Mosque
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – For the first time on Friday, Israeli forces deployed drones to deliver military-grade tear gas at the al-Aqsa Mosque complex in Jerusalem, attacking civilians. Nevertheless, later that day some 150,000 Palestinians gathered at the complex to pray afternoon, sunset and evening prayers and supererogatory (extra) prayers on the third Friday […]