The techno-fantasies of Evo Morales: the consequences of modernization

The truth about Bolivia’s flurry of noveau-tech modernization is that, while such a pursuit may have appeared to be the means toward sustainability and defense for an island like Cuba, under attack by the world’s most potent nation-state in the 1960s — today’s ecologists, environmentalists, social-movement activists, and traditional peoples assert that exploitation/expansion-based development can no longer be the way up and out.

Top 10 peak oil stories of 2010

The biggest stories of 2010 were financial. But you could say that the continuing Great Recession, the deficit debate, and more and more mortgage defaults were really stories of energy-driven economic crisis. This year also had plenty of big stories directly on energy, including some breakthroughs on peak oil. Here are our top picks. It’s a highly subjective list; so please chime in with any stories you think we left off.

Energy – Dec 17

– With Peak Oil Looming, Gulf States Consider Ending Fossil Fuel Subsidies
– Coal Interests Fueling Gingrich’s Cash-Burning 527
– When energy comes to a Senegalese village, do people get more healthy, wealthy and wise?
– Poor people’s energy outlook 2010

WikiLeaks – Dec 14

– Swedish documentary on WikiLeaks: “WikiRebels” (now online)
– Stephen Colbert’s International Manhunt for Julian Assange
– Wikileaks defectors to launch Openleaks alternative
– WikiLeaks may make the powerful howl, but we are learning the truth
– Harvard law professor: Seven Thoughts on Wikilea
– The US Government’s Pursuit of WikiLeaks Could Be Its Undoing-

America: the panoptic shiver

Among the most compelling nuggets of information contained in the batch of United States diplomatic documents released by WikiLeaks and published in leading international newspapers is the list of installations in more than fifty countries which the state department in Washington deems to be a US security concern.