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#4 - Cultureshock
Welcome to the fourth issue of SHIFT magazine! In this issue of SHIFT we plumb the depths of our dominant global culture, examining it from various angles and exploring the worldviews and stories that underpin it. Some of the most prominent myths and narratives of our culture are unpacked while alternatives are entertained and practical applications are sketched out. Warning: calls to action and tips on culture-jamming may disarm the inner armchair critic – we’re on a journey beyond the comfort zone! About the Author:
SHIFT magazine
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In this Issue:
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Letter from the SHIFT team #4
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World News Digest – Issue #4
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CR File: Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat
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Growth Fairy Tales
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Changing the Culture of Food: The Open Food Network
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Changemaker profile: Noam Chomsky
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Climate Action Summit 2014: Sowing the Seeds of a Movement
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The Story of Us
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Top 10: Culture-Jamming Cheat-Sheet
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Please Read Utopian Fiction!
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THEM, YOU, THEN, NOW, ALWAYS
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Why I’m Fired Up About The Hunger Games
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An open letter to the human inhabitants of 2084
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World News Digest – Issue #4
Economy
BRICS: Emerging Markets Present Challenge to World Bank & IMF
The 6th BRICS summit held in Brazil in July kicked off plans for a new Development Bank to challenge the US-dominated World Bank and IMF. BRICS nations also declared plans for a crisis contingency fund to provide a financial safety net, and an Energy Association for the purpose of ensuring energy security for member nations.
Follow the story:
- Putin arrives in Brazilian capital city to take part in BRICS summit closing day
- BRICS Announce $100 Billion Reserve To Bypass Fed, Developed World Central Banks
- Nobel Economist Joseph Stiglitz Hails New BRICS Bank Challenging U.S.-Dominated World Bank & IMF
- Joseph Stiglitz on TPP, Cracking Down on Corporate Tax Dodgers & New BRICS Bank
Energy
Net Energy Analysis for Long-Term Planning
Net energy analysis provides a means of comparing the amount of energy a technology produces over its lifetime with the amount of energy required to build and maintain it. This technique enables policy-makers to gauge the sustainability of various energy technologies over time, research shows.
Follow the story:
Hammering Hamas: It’s all About Gas
Israel’s defence minister has confirmed that military plans to ‘uproot’ Hamas are about dominating Gaza’s gas reserves. The assault on Gaza known as ‘Operation Protective Edge’ is expected to be a protracted one.
Follow the story:
- IDF’s Gaza assault is to control Palestinian gas, avert Israeli energy crisis
- Is Israel’s Operation Protective Edge Really About Natural Gas?
Environment
World’s Oceans on Brink of Collapse
The Global Ocean Commission has put forward a report on the declining health of the planet’s high seas. Their report sets out five main problems, from dramatic over-fishing to rising pollution, and a set of recommendations for reversing the decline.
Follow the story:
- Report warns world’s fragile oceans pushed to point of collapse
- Report: World’s Oceans on Brink of Collapse
Deadly Heat en-route for US
Report predicts extreme heat around the corner for US states, with an average of 96 days’ extreme heat forecast each year by century’s end. Temperatures are expected to rise to extremes that render outdoor activity a life-threatening venture.
Follow the story:
- With heat and humidity, areas will be ‘unsuited for outdoor activity’
- Climate Forecast: A Heat More Deadly Than the U.S. Has Ever Seen
Geopolitics
MH17 Shot Down over War-Torn Ukraine
Thursday 17th July 2014 bore witness to an immense tragedy as civilian carrier Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 was apparently shot down over eastern Ukraine by missile fire. Accusing fingers are already pointing at Russia, but as the pieces of the puzzle gradually come together little is certain at this point.
Follow the story:
- Malaysia Airlines plane MH17 ‘shot down’ on Ukraine-Russia border
- The Malaysia Airlines crash over Ukraine: what we know and don’t know
- Ukraine Releases YouTube Clip “Proving” Rebels Shot Down Malaysian Flight MH-17
And for a little perspective:
Israeli Ground Troops Enter Gaza
The latest chapter of the Israel-Palestine conflict sees Israeli troops entering Gaza in what is expected to be a protracted ground assault with the pretext of ‘rooting out’ Hamas. All casualties at the time of writing have been on the Palestinian side, the majority being civilians.
Follow the story:
- Israeli forces enter Gaza in ground assault after ceasefire talks fail
- Gaza death toll passes 350 as world protests Israeli incursion
Disclaimer: SHIFT magazine does not take responsibility for the content of any of the articles linked to in our World News Digest. Selection for the Digest does not imply endorsement of any of the positions expressed in any given article.
Does net energy factor in the energy required to maintain territorial control over the energy resource? For example, The USA military operates globally to ensure access to oil reserves. That takes a lot of fossil fuel energy just to ensure access. Is that factored into net energy? The list goes on.
What do people think of the net energy statistics? It doesn’t match with how I understood net energy and peak energy.
For example: “Calculations revealed that a typical wind turbine generates about 80 times more electricity over its lifetime than it consumes during manufacture and installation, and that a solar photovoltaic system produces about 10 times more electricity than it consumes….Oil sands industry supplies about five times more energy to society than it consumes, compared to the conventional oil industry, which supplies 10 to 20 times more energy than it uses.”
All those numbers seem rubbery to me if I compare it with peak energy/oil theory. Does net energy include the energy required to extract the resources or just in the processing/manufacture of the energy source?