Week's end

It's been a busy (couple of) week, and I haven't been able to write on a number of stories bubbling away. So I'm doing the next best thing and sharing a bunch of links and comments with you so that you can follow up the stories yourself. Thanks to the readers who sent some of these tips (including David and Stephen):

1. New Matilda had an interesting article speculating (and analysing) why Howard has wandered down the nuclear track (thanks David).
   
   
2. The 12th of November was the anniversary of the Santa Cruz Massacre, where hundreds of young East Timorese independence activists were massacred by Indonesian policy, military and intelligence officials. I forgot all about it until I read Axis of Evel Knievel (thanks to Barista for the introduction), which covers the massacre in good detail. You can read my perspective to the massacre and the anniversary I missed in the comments. (Thanks Barista and 'Axis')
   
   
3. The anti-capitalist protests are gearing-up against the G20 meeting here in Melbourne, amid the usual media who-ha about expected activist violence at these demonstrations, which has not materialised. From my observations, the violence usually comes from the police, and the media who like a good beat-up (in all its varieties). Some of the posters advertising the anti-G20 rallies slated for Saturday have resurrected a clever twist on the 'Make Poverty History' slogan: 'Make Capitalism History'. Nice. (Thanks ABC and posters at tram stops).
   
   
4. And apparently, if the anti-G20 protesters can't deliver, capitalism will eat itself. According to the Stern report, the 'World economy 'faces ruin' from climate change' (thanks Stephen). Interestingly, the news that the capitalist world economy will dry up along with the water has turned John Howard into a born-again climate change crusader. And is taking his new zeal to APEC. However, instead of advocating compulsory greenhouse emissions reductions, he's pushing for a technological fix – that will essentially allow polluters to keep going with their energy consumption on the fiction that the fix will capture their emissions. Oh, and a trading scheme that he can control.
   

This will end in tears, I tell you.

And just to remind you that the conversation about your favourite and recommended children's books around environmental themes (or not) is continuing in the comments to my previous post on Uno's Garden. Thanks to those who've shared, and please keep the suggestions coming.