Drugs, education, acceptation

Hey my dear readers,
I was fooling around the net when I saw that amazing documentary on the way past government dealt with drugs (see War on Drug) and the fact it did not work.

The film is very well directed with a lot of power messages from past presidents, authors and other World personalities I would recommend that movie.
Now the message sent was half clear on the solution they would propose. They talked about hard drugs like heroin and cocaine, to end up saying they should legalize and regulate marijuana... a little bit of a dimension problem. Hence not a bold move; a move that looks more like (scary) baby step. While some personalities really said it clear that you need to understand the drug addict (I do believe that too), for me you can win a war if you look at your own people, meaning Americans should educate and care about their backyard. The reality that the US is the first consumer far ahead of all the others means that they have a wrong angle of attack towards their social system. You don't do drugs if your happy unless you're an idiot that like to shoot himself in the foot or you suffer from complexes that are reflecting your society (examples are pouring like Congolese prostitutes in Pointe Noire's night clubs).

"If I was President" (W.J.)
I believe you cannot fight this war unless you act on both end of the rope: production and consumption. They spend millions in destroying the crops, why not spending these millions in subventions for crops that could make farmers quit the drug business? If cocaine pays that much, lets the country create a new economy based on subventions to farmers: 1kg of corn the price of 1kg of cocaine! that makes the poor farmer a man sustaining his family AND abandoning the cocaine business. Let them do that for 5 years and you'll see the drug harvesting dropping 90%. Now I only mentioned the subvention, but it can be that they would get hospitals and schools or free electricity/water and lesser direct subvention. The message that Colombian farmers send to their government is "you don't help us, so we're going somewhere else to find help". Now that can be reversed, not without some corruption and abuses of course but no great system goes without abuses and corruption.
At the same time you regulate and control the cocaine production to a certain volume of total mass a year. All farmers must be registered, all produced crop weighted and registered. Heavy fines to whoever is caught producing more, the most important is IGNORING THE DRUG LORDS.
That would basically be a development plan to fight the drug system in Colombia, by redirecting their workforce towards a legal trade, looking beyond drug production and letting drug Lords like sitting ducks. Trade would probably react by increasing the price but that's just like the Oil price, it follows the international geopolitic tensions. The result would be price increase on the other end (consumption end), so the market would shift to another country till it has nowhere else to run.
If it is not the best of options, prone to create lots of abuses, better these abuses than lack of sovereign control and uncontrollable violence.

Now a bit of Maths

• Cocaine farming monthly wedge = 1000 USD per household (67000 households, several sources like this one).

• Development of a new farming economy, based on subvention (wood or whatever sort of crop that would fit the local ecosystem) = overall (direct and indirect subventions) 1500 USD per household (counting conservatively 15% being coca farmers we talk about 450000 households, 18% of colombian population)

• Total development plan = 675 MUSD/year that we can top up to 1 BUSD/year (GDP for agriculture being 26.3 BUSD in 2010, 9% of Colombia's GDP the same year)

I don't plan to come and speak directly to Mr President, nor do I think I hold the truth of it, but if a PhD in chemistry can figure this out imagine what an expert in economy can implement then!!! To finish with my little prose of the day, the one thing that I really liked in this documentary was that the countries that implemented different approach to this social issue did not try to hit the consumer any-more. They tried to understand the sociological illness behind the drug consumption. Some European countries are a long way to understand that (e.g. I know the social issues in France and the refusal to accept some truths) and the message the populations send to their governments should be more acknowledged. Eventually there is a parallel to be drown with human traffic (e.g. prostitution) and arm smuggling, also increasing dramatically, especially in Europe.

The end of the World (and the Carbon news) in Brazil

Tomorrow is doomsday, and I already heard of the "doomsday program" so I'm hoping someone will read that before power shuts down :-).

Programation of the last day:

06:30 - Beginning of the End of the World
07:00 - Meteor shower
08:30 - First Tsunamis arrival
10:00 - OVNIs welcoming
10:30 - Gangnam Style flashmob of the OVNIs
11:36 -Initiation of general destruction
12:00 - Alignement of all planets of the Solar System, followed by a huge Eclipse
12:00 a 14:00 - lunch break
14:15 - Earth magnetic pole inversion
15:00 - Super Global Warming
16:30 - Initiation of the Earthlings annihilation
17:00 - Nilwayne Nilrex show
18:00 - Alien Earthling revelation
19:00 - Prisoner rescue from area 51 and Varginha (Brazil equivalent of Area 51)
20:00 - Re-opening of tunnel São Tomé Das Letras/Machu Picchu (they call this city in Brazil city of the stars...)
21:00 - Approximation of planet Nibiru
22:00 - Revelation of UFO's secret friends
23:00 - Bowser's arrival to finish up the job
23:30 - End of the World

So before all of that happens I made a selection of carbon news for you to read before it's too late:
Rio de Janeiro wants to monitor real time its carbon emission (in Portuguese). Already Pdt Obama is making Climate Change one of his top priorities for his second term when in Europe (UK to be precise) the carbon emission reductions are being delayed to the next term, meaning they don't want to wear and bear the responsibility of such a controversial task in the current economic environment. Now I am a big fan of CCS so I was quite please to see this article claiming CCS would be key to reduction of carbon emission and commitment to global targets.To close the loop on Brazil, there is a quick post from the CCS Institute explaining how to manage CCS projects in developing countries (that is considering Brazil as a developing country, which is an entire debate by itself).
Hopefully I see you all sometimes in the future!!

World Energy Outlook(s)

hey,
November has been intense in high profile publications. IEA has recently made the presentation of its new book publicly available and BP released his yearly World Energy review that you can found here.What we can take out from these publications is the increase in energy consumption and oil demand despite the increase of the oil price, Renewable energies seem to be stable in growth which is not the best of  news, especially with the global economical environment and the huff-n-puff attitude of the (mostly European) governments. Their lack of commitment towards private companies effort makes nonviable large projects (like in Florange, France, with ArcelorMittal's questionable willing that would have been troubleshooted if European governments really made an effort). Global CCS Institute made an urging publication to call for European CCS funding before other countries take the lead and gets all the technological advance. Combining this with IEA's overview on European gas dependance, it is time to "take our fingers out of our arses" (old rig joke). I kind of grow tired of saying that (well, not really tired ha!) but I know that the effort towards renewable energies will be made by the private sector. One example is that bloomberg article recently talking about solar energy to involve EOR technologies (in a nutshell, these techs helps you to take more oil out of a reservoir). The private sector might become the best (and only?) player in renewable energies.
One "good news" about the reports (BP's) is that the proven oil reserves tend to grow over the years with the ever evolving characterization and exploration technologies. One example is Brazil, which doubled it's proven reserves in 10 years through Pre-Salt discoveries and subsequently Angola if you consider the geological history that the 2 countries share. For a proof look at this gif picture developped by the Nova Scotia museum (image found here):

This gif is very northern hemisphere centric but look at the division between South America and Africa! Right were the Pre-Salt discoveries were made in Brazil used to be Angola, and recent findings proved that theory to be right. Russia has also seen greatly increased it's own reserves over the past decade. Nevertheless IEA projects that increase in consumption will boost the diversification of the energy sources from now to 2035 (guys, less than 25 years now, that only from 1987 to date and if you look back, not much has been created, only improved). While IEA looks at how much we can save by optimizing our production and consumption lines, BP has been looking at 2011's production and consumption. An interesting set of slides is IEA's slide 7 on 2035's projected gas trade flow (gloomy future for Europe) and 2011 gas trade movements (page 29).
To finish in a bright note, BP says the renewable sources are increasing year on year, though IEA says not fast enough and that is echoed by the CCS institute.
The IEA's World Energy Outlook is available on sale for a couple of hundreds of dollars  \o/
The BP statistical review is for free (at least) and you can even do a year on year to try to do some predictions yourself!!

a good read to you then!

Brésil: 10 ans d'émission réduite de CO2

Bonjour,
je suis tombé sur cet article ce matin  qui concerne une  étude faite au Brésil montrant que l'essort du biodiesel grace à la production d'éthanol (le Brésil est un des pionniers) a évité la production de 177 millions de tonnes de CO2, soit 7 jours de production mondiale (données 2009). Donc j'ai continué mes petites recherches sur le CO2 et je suis tombé sur quelques sites intéressants comme CO2 now, qui fournissent des données mensuelles sur l'émission de CO2, utilisant le fameux observatoir de Hawaï:

 

J'ai aussi trouvé le site de l'ONU sur la météorologie (OMM) qui fait des études annuelles sur l'émission de gaz à effet de serre (Novembre 2012 en français).
Maintenant le même Brésil (à travers Petrobras) vient de mettre en place un système de surveillance des gaz à effet de serre à Natal dans le nordeste, grâce au système suédois DOAS (Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy) développé conjointement avec Petrobras.Sont fous ces brésiliens!!!

The scary 4 degrees

I like infographics, they're simple, to the fact and kind of easy to understand... incredibly inaccurate also (because of it's simplicity). Anyway here is why we should really put our hands into a more sustainable energy production and consumption (credits to the World Bank):

Today's new on Carbon dioxide

CCS funding process may be flawed

Hi you all,
I had a quick go on some interesting news concerning CO2 and the capture process, CCS.
First is a new way of reducing GHG trough a chain of carbonate reaction involving pulverised rock.
We saw this week the huff-n-puff reactions of the industrial putting in jeopardy a couple of projects: Florange in France,  NER300 funding program are making the cover.
But there are good news, such as this company, Ryncosmos promoting portable CO2 emission reduction for houses and cars. Alstom is working with Dow for the past 4 years now to develop some amine system to catch CO2 more efficiently. Talking about amines, some nice research made in Laval University to increase the efficiency of regeneration of the amine beds (if you don't have access to the article, there is a good review for CCJournal here).
Eventually you can have a look on the same journal the featured articles on CO2  compression ( that's for the radicals!!!)

25 Bright (and Simple) Ideas to Save Energy

Hey everybody,
very neat post from the IEA, International Energy Agency, sitting in Paris (France). This is already quite surprising when you think about it because the IEA is big on renewable energy auditing and advertising and France is not really the country where there is a lot happening when compared to neighbouring countries or the USA, Australia...
Anyway they just issued a summary of 25 ideas to save energy, at home, at work, while driving or even using your computer. It is simple, clear and save you some energy which in the end means more sustainability. You can check it out here! They even released a printout format for you to take it away with you.

Ocean Pollution

Today I present you my little contribution to the fight against ocean pollution. I am following for sometimes now people like Philippe and Alexandra Cousteau, TEDxOilspill... all this since the Macondo disaster (Reuter gave another news last month... 2 years after and still potentially dangerous!), that led me to increase my awareness to mightiness and fragility of our oceans. See for yourself below, and big thanks to Masters Degree!

Time to invest in european renewable energy?

Well that's what the Financial Times seems to mean in this article at least ;-). They mention that the EU has ever increasing energy bills and that the US through their shale gas has found cheap AND "green" source of energy.  I also leave here the link of the manifesto they based their article on, for reference. The US have been lucky to find so much resources but in order to exploit it went against the public opinion (well, the northern part of it at least). EU on the other hand massively vetoed the shale gas because of the frac issue (which, by the way, in Europe with all its laws, is almost irrelevant) and the nuclear lobby felt quite happy about the position. Will that change eventually? Time will tell.

Why ‘Picking Low-Hanging Fruit’ Hurts Efficiency

I just found that very interesting article by Auden Schendler from the ECD website, explaining why the easy fix of energy efficiency is good only in the short term. They explain that the costy energy efficiency programs are in the long term more beneficial for both companies and environment. Click on the picture below:

UK perspective on Carbon Capture and Storage

I have seen this article in the Financial Times which is not usually where you would find it, I thought it could be interesting to share it. It is true that it does only bring numbers, we know already CCS is a huge upfront cost. Now combining with this aricle from BBC, again nothing new but it is interesting to see that general media is endorsing solutions, from the same location.
You can see a selection of more Carbon Dioxide related article I picked up from the net here also.

Extreme politics: populism

Populism is an extreme form of politics. It is a deformation of it's goals. The politician instead of helping the population by doing what is best for a population is trying to remain in power by abiding to please the mass. It is Coubertin  in reverse. It doesn't matter how, it only matters that you win. Tough the notion is now considered old, one must think this is a twisted notion to what all voters would like to see. We strangely become used to the lie and instead of voting for whoever does the best for us, we vote for the least worse.  Example of populisms are flooding the news, I picked up some that triggers dangerous political directions, from freedom of speech to fundamentalism, and dangerously steps into some notions I mentioned in other posts. By the way, that's one of my answers below as I got angry of this politic's speach against an orixa statue exposed on a lake (yeah, I get passionate sometimes :-P)

 "Nem é pela beleza da escultura (que pessoalmente não curto) mais pensam nas palavras dos pagodes baixo astrais denigrindo as mulheres e falando de putaria. Agora para uma pobre escultura de uma musa na água, parecendo a smurfete tomando sol, e um babaca de vereador esta falando de diabo... fala serio seu vereador, toma vergonha nesta cara inculta sua!!"

But as the Brazil city councils election just finished, I saw another huge flood of populism, getting from slightly elaborated to gross and really shameful, depending on how the city is remote and the population's education level. Runner up maior of São Paulo (which, by the way, lost the city to the worker's party after a reign of 25 years!) was seen kissing whoever came around (I dared to come close), seen doing music... whatever would have him on the spotlight but we were yet to hear of his program (which surely runt him out of the competition). Others really play with the local music band (sometimes horridly) and you suddenly see the president of Brazil appearing in places she never went for her own elections (some favelas of Salvador, Bahia). If populism would be a way to show that you are also a good ol' boy and not an aristocrat too far away from your own compatriot I would understand, but too often the effort stops as soon as the elections are over and they all go back to their daily activities. 
Populism could be witnessed also during the elections in USA last weeks, more from Romney than from Obama (from an international point of view). Looking back at that case it appeared Romney suffered a poll backdraft by focusing on pleasing white Americans from the country sides instead of focusing more on more general motives.He also tried populism on different society group and ended up in contradiction (one dialogue for his voters and another one for his sponsors) like the famous 47% comments. I saw less populism in Obama's discourse (I never said there wasn't) and he probably was the least worst to vote for.

Like Wyclef Jean would say, "if I was president", well I would try to elevate the debate and steering up my people rather than down. Education is the key and I would really boost it. From that point everything will follow effortlessly: environment, clean energy, lower poverty and corruption and crimes... you name it! It seems an utopia but only because it is too much of a long term plan and because our politics are focused on short term development plans (populism, securing votes, short term happiness) we hardly see education been favoured. So we have wars, extremism, sexism, corruption (as for this one, it should remain because it is part of Humanity but it should be way less than it is now).

Carbon Capture and Storage, Wind and Sun

Lately I have been reading a report on a technology called Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), aiming at reducing the CO2 emission of the currently running power plants. A lot is going on with renewable energies but unfortunately CCS is not really the most popular guy in the school-yard. The main problem comes from the fact that the technology is hiting a lack of public awareness of the way the technology works and its benefits. So when the projects come fresh out of the Owen to the board's desk it is almost immediately accepted, but when the budget comes the board instinctively will look at the reasons of running CCS versus Solar or Wind energies (see the part when the report say that CCS is not moving fast enough). These two have the top of the charts because... because they're cool!! A sequel of the flower power generation?? The numbers are not giving them 2 boys the advantage; CCS is a bit of the nerd one with the big glasses, the dental iron and the rushing acne that make him look like a sludgy pizza! Though he's way smarter than the 2 others beating him at football and more successful with the girls. OK now it's a bit of a caricature but unfortunately there are some truth in it. CCS looks not cool, it's a lot of chemical separators (this is enough to depress most of us so ugly it is!) that you hook on some old coal/fossil fuel power generator. After that you need to put all this CO2 somewhere so either you put it back to the ground (and most get scared of leaks) or you use it to help produce more oil from the current fields. All that uncoolness makes you immediately think you are not solving the problem but delaying it. The thing is: first, the storage is not going to crack the Earth because we are not going to do it anyhow (carbon dioxide ground storage is 30 years old) and second, at equal mass of CO2 avoided a solar or wind power station is about 2000-3000 time bigger in foot print than a traditional coal/fossil fuel power generator with a CCS facility hooked in it. All this doesn't mean these 2 good looking school boys with the wind spreading through their blond hairs bathed by the sun wont be successful adults, it means that there is space for all three of them for different reasons and eventually we'll need them all. One thing I remember is that workshop that we had in Rio a couple of month ago between various industries and universities around the CO2-CCS related technologies. There was no officials, nobody from local or national council to account for what we are doing. I felt something was missing because it doesn't matter what is being done, what is being said if actually "nobody" aknowledge it , if "nobody" hears it. Here is a link of how is CO2-CCS perceived by all non specialists and it makes you realize how we need to communicate in order to break preconceived ideas and the fears that built through it.

One thing people tend to forget: the traditional power plants are build for half a century, so better make them carbon efficient because nobody will shut them down till they're too old. Wind and Solar are amazing stuff (and not only them) don't get me wrong but I believe the attention should be more harmoniously distributed.

Middle East: Machiavelli applied

Reigning over confusion:
Today we were discussing over breakfast with some colleagues about this bad quality Youtube upload that created rage over some Muslim countries. It appeared to us that, when looking at the comments that were published on the internet, it seemed more than just some isolated point of view for some brainless US citizen comfortably hiding in some Californian government house. The actors starting to talk about how the casting was made and the "movie" shot let you think that the intention was to create revolts in Muslims regions. Especially in countries like Libya or Syria where the American popularity was increasing greatly (the Libyan revolution was not helped directly by US troops, only by advising so the feeling of revolution ownership was kept by the Libyans and westerners really considered as support-only). Hence it really looks like that Youtube upload came at a good time to reverse the positive feeling of that Muslim community towards americans. You can even start to fantasize about the "movie" been founded by fundamentalists to hit on american's initiatives...

Ecology and Oilfields

Short post today, I just saw that article in the net through one of my tweeter font. I always said the move would come from the Oil and Gas industry and it seems I am right. The effort will come from the O&G industry as a epidermic reaction of survival. Though before it comes completely to that I'm afraid we might to pass through some rough times, as visibly Big Oil seems to eye with envy the Arctic regions (not without problems).

Religion and Power

Earlier this year I made a post about fundamentalism and education, in french. A humble attempt to explain why the non-educated were more prompt to fundamentalism and how the power-hungry were prone to explore, use and abuse that power. Really not a new concept, but it has ventilated some of my bitterness after the Arab Spring going somewhat not where people's freedom of expression would want it too (Arab Brothers in Tunisia, unfinished businesses of Mubarak's follower in Egypt). Before I can close this parenthesis, I spoke to one of my friend, tunisian man, explaining me how the actual regime is only temporary until they finish the new constitution. I felt something like a relief, I never saw the mix of religion and governance been a good mix (the Muslim Brothers been at the head of the temporary government). 

Anyway today's post comes after  something not quite the same, yet related. Earlier this month came out something on Youtube that one can not call a movie as it would be an insult to the lowest trashy internet porn that can claim the name of "movie". A sequence of pictures creating a motion, yet not qualifiable of the previous name has been uploaded in Youtube, whose link is here. Yet I feel reluctant to paste it simply because the author might take it as a compliment. Believe me if I could hang a man by his prides and use him as a piñata for a bunch of Toxteth - Liverpool - elementary school kids I'll chose the author of that trash. Those who lived in Liverpool will know exactly the sort of educated yummy little kids are growing down there ^_^!.

I thought and thought again of how a man can think to go up to release something like this. But I got it all wrong eventually.. the man did not think, or at least not using the same common grey cell and neurones we use, us common people. He must have used something different, something he believes God gave only to him to speak to the World and distribute his wholly words... If there was someone as close to that God in any realm here or there, I'd say he has a twisted sort of humour.

Let us call the person that uploaded that binary sequence on Youtube Mr D! D for dumbass, di#*¨!k, dork, douchebach (my oh my, so many fun words starting with d!!). So Mr. D woke up one fine day and thought his belief was so much better and superior than any other in this planet, he was soooo happy to have been able to finish the reader's digest version of the wholly book describing his true belief (the one book per year goal passed!!) and he feels like the World should know that THEY ARE WRONG!, the wholly book is right it's obvious, it's in the reader's digest! Mr. D, although almost capable to run a cashier at Walmart without forgetting them 6 packs the guy put on the moving carpet just after his Hustler magazine (hard to take the eyes out of it!! special edition of the X factor female drop off nudes, damn!!) he prefers the pride of a movie production company, it might pay as much (for him at least) but it's so much more fun. His real quality is being an outgoing guy... kind of  clever-errrrr-na! guy. To start his adventure he decides to go to other guys in the industry with money to spare and tell them he's going to do a movie, but not any movie, one that will talk about the Truth in a comic way for all to understand it, just like Chaplin did! And just like that (yeah, money flows for less, it seems, in USA movie industry!), after a couple of drink and siphoning some of these fundraisers pride he went on to the organization of his movie. HE want great actors, he thinks of BraJoly... and no!, nononono! we talk about holly, a woman full of tattoo??? yaik! but who would carry my message with such power?? And then it stroke him: actors don't matter, the message IS the power, it will carry itself! And it's cheaper so more money on the post prod and special FX. Next will be the screenplay, which he already has in his reader's digest, yet he needs more of a tale and that book is more a reflection... that drove him till late evening and to some places he did not think he would have gone otherwise: the bunny tavern!!!!!!!! My oh my where am I?? did he think. Then he met him: the man with the dodgy beard, he stinking breath but illuminating counselling. So Mr D. took his little notepad and his pencil and started to copy religiously all the wholly words the dodgy-beard-stinking-beard was saying. It was all there he could see it. His eyes full of recognition for such a fine screenplay been given to him, he left after tiping the man generously with a quarter that was hidden down the table (more money saved from spending for the rest of the movie!!! yeiiiiiiiii!). Now we can start filming! But according to the screenplay the movie happens in the middle east, how is Mr D supposed to go there with all the equipment, personnel, actors, accommodations (he did not trust the hotels there! people from a different belief). As he was sleeping on the problem, he made a dream of still pictures of the middle east and deserts... by the morning he had the solution. As for the actors, little mattered the place, what mattered was the message so he could just film the movie in his backyard with a blue background and then change for some nice facebook pictures of the places where the prophet lived (the real one!!). It seemed the movie was coming out quite economical eventually, he could spend a lot on advertising and that pleased him. So the movie went on and on, patiently baked like a juicy hot lemon pie. For weeks and weeks he worked endlessly, days and night, filming and filning again till all was perfect to his eyes. Then one day the movie was as he always dreamt it! Perfectly passing on the message to the World of the Real Profet, the real religion and revealing what impostors the others are. Vile usurpers and low living liers and thieves! Hours before going to the production studios and showing the movies to the World, he got paranoiac, scared to his bones: would they accept the truth? Badley Manning was emprisonned by the US government to reveal only government truth, what would it be if he release the Truth!!! public lapidation? torture with iron wips?? goats licking his toe fingers till he dies of exhaustion? Being a voluntary cashier at Walmart for life? Even worse: being sent to live a life of reclusion amongst the infidels!!!!!!! NO THAT CANNOT BE! Though the message must pass. Then again... someone must be speaking to his mind.. HIM? Yes it's obvious, Youtube, the freedom of speech and the company that helped infidels to diffuse their message, surely will accept the Truth to be told to Mankind. It was July 1st 2012 and the day after the World knew the Answer.... At least he thought of that. What? Nobody pays attention? The finest work ever since the Wholly Book and nobody celebrates it??? oh wait, what do I see? Libya? The infidels are in pain!!! they understood we know now! Poor ambassador, a collateral damage of the Truth envoy. But it matters not: DEATH TO THE INFIDELS!!!

That was a silly charicature of the person that uploaded that thing to Youtube. Just like Wyclef Jean would say: if I was president, I would make a point into prosecuting this person, whoever it is, along with the fund-raisers until I discover whose intention it was really. The person behind this knew of how aggressive the answer would be and never made that movie innocently. One can speak his mind out yes, but some things cannot be disclosed without spreading bloodshed because unfortunately the World is such, blame it on 60 years of bad geopolitics in the middle east. That's a good enough fuel for fury and usually fury always take the good people away. That ambassador and the staff never asked for it, probably enjoyed the cultural exchange and were doing their possible to work out a cement for better relationship between the 2 countries.

So I would prosecute the persons responsible for that upload, not for serving in prison but to pay a good fine of a couple of millions so that they wont use their money stupidly again and give it to international NGOs that work in education and also in the middle east region. Because the people that killed the ambassador and the staff should not have done that but it's not their fault if they don't have the education to understand that violence does not eradicate stupidity. So I would give resources to these NGOs to educate as many children and adults as possible so that critical thinking can be divulged and fundamentalism diffused.

What do you guys say?

These comments are mine and mine only!

Banks: David vs. Goliath

I don't really know anymore if we are David or Goliath. Looking at the Libor scandal makes me think we (the World of common people) are Goliath as in big number of average Joes trying to get on with our lives and petty worries and David are bankers with slingshot throwing fragmentation grenades. Naomi Wolf's recent article shows discouraging facts about our future and the control of these money hungry people. Apparently if you know something you are facing two choices:

• The Hero: you see the irregularity, you step aside and blow the whistle, all those who are maintaining the irregularity will come at you and break you down, American football style coming at horse speed and jumping on you with an arm lock until you can't breathe no more. It's a bit what happened to that poor Bradley Manning, US army version or Julian Assange, whose sexual convictions are so made up it's not even funny. It seems though these people don't really care about been precautious, they have power with them. It's like being Batman defending the poor and the widow with his friend the judge before ending up as 2 faces, except it's in real life hence all that is of power will come down to you (and unfortunately they proved they would do it). Either you are willing to end up with your life knowingly or you just think like in an American movie that the truth will be unfold. The World will change for better with you remembered as the Man that revealed the truth and all the women will fall on your feet... seems like an Islamic suicide bomber with the promise of the 40 virgins doesn't it?
• The regular Joe: like most of us, or the Hero that has put a bit of thoughts into his actions and realized the war was lost for him at least and it was not worth ending up with his own life so that the truth would be unfolded but quickly remade, hidden again and eventually nobody cares and the rest of the World will go on with its day-by-day life. No one really wants things to change, we made our plans for a nice working life and a happy retirement with children and grand children floating around us like busy little bees. Eventually either this one is Goliath contemplating the wasp nest full of little David on fragmentation grenades that all together would end up with his life or it's David looking at Goliath and thinking the story wont end up like in the tale, the sling is really too short and he doesn't have any fragmentation grenade... costs too much!
• The Hungry: He is the regular Joe but thought "why not me?" because he has tasted power. He went to the wasp nest and said to the Davids: if I blow the whistle, I'll die yes but I'll make sure I'll burn you down with me (that's Batman's friend turning into 2 faces). So in exchange for his silence, after harsh negotiations and death threats (just to try to scare him off, testing him out... he'll be killed if he failed the test because you acknowledge the hungry but only the brave ones) he is rewarded and the machine can go on.

Is it about controlling people? Getting as much money as we can to spend on stupidly expensive hotels, restaurants, clubs and women (probably all equally expensive)? Trying to get to the bottom of people's mass control? What is the role of the government and till when will they accept such behaviour?18th of July we hear that Bank of America reports second quarter net income of $2.5bn, better than expected (get it from FT.com).
So the conclusion of all that is that impunity comes with mass robbery. Times have not changed since the Kings were ruling the land extracting money from the peasants. Names have changed but the principle remains the same.

Education et Habitude

C'est un peu mon premier post sur l'éducation que je fais, mais c'est un sujet qui me tient à cœur depuis quelques années maintenant, sans jamais avoir compris comment faire quelque chose de valable. Il y a 10 ans je commençait à aider une pseudo ONG qui c'est avéré être verreuse, mais je ne l'ai vu qu'après quelques années (un peu Bob la Lune le papagaio!!). Quand j'étais en Afrique je me suis essayé au sponsoring encore une fois, avec plus de succès (une école de fille tenue par des bonne soeurs dans Pointe Noire au Congo). Seul problème: j'ai été relocalisé dans un autre pays sans avoir la possibilité de faire un suivit de mes actions. J'ai cependant appris à ne pas faire de promesses impossibles à tenir (ce qui m'amène à penser à mon amis Gabalo à qui je pense toujours beaucoup, sans trouver comment l'aider). Mais c'est le passé, avant le Brésil, ayant fait mes erreurs j'ai commencé à regarder les choses avec un oeil plus critique. Le Brésil est proche de l'Afrique de l'Ouest dans beaucoup de domaines, tout en étant beaucoup plus évolué et ayant passé cette crise d'indépendance vis-à-vis de l'Europe et des autres pays industrialisés. Tant si bien fait que le Brésil en est maintenant un lui même!! Ici j'ai commencé par aider des enfants dans mon cercle proche: 4 enfants récemment orphelin de la mère dont le père ne peux s'occuper d'eux par faute de moyens financiers (on reviendra à pourquoi plus tard). Ce que j'ai appris c'est que apprendre est inné chez l'enfant jeune, jusqu'à 5-6 ans. Après cet age, la société immédiate commence à influer sur lui et sa capacité à apprendre, à absorber la connaissance, s'adapte à l'environnement dans lequel il évolue. Donc plus l'enfant est stimulé tôt à l'apprentissage scolaire plus il a de chance d'acquérir cette habitude de l'apprentissage. J'ai retrouvé ce problème quand nous avons commencé une action volontaire avec Schlumberger (qui m'emploie) dans une école qualifiée "lanterne rouge" des écoles de Rio. Le système scolaire entier dans cette école a un coté déprimant. Les enfants sont difficilement stimulés à l'éducation, que ce soit par les parents ou les professeurs qui vivent une frustration quotidienne de voir que les étudiants de cette école considèrent l'école comme un événement social. Il n'y a pas de stimulus et lentement l'enfant commence à suivre le même chemin que ses parents et amis/voisins qui sont ses références. Le critère de réussite et les carrières rêvées par ces enfants sont tronquées par ce que offre la TV. Ils ne sont pas protégés par leurs parents parce que leurs parents ne sont pas protégés. Le cercle vicieux peux être cassé mais cela doit venir d'eux et de leurs parents. Ce que je vois est que contrairement à ce que l'on peux penser en Europe, l’éducation n'est absolument pas un bien acquis, mais à conserver farouchement, car il est le véhicule de la stabilité civique et de la prospérité d'une nation.

An idea never dies, it transforms

Back then in 1998 when I first came back from the Amazonian rain forest I thought I'd be the Bill Gates... oh hell let's be crazy, the Steve Jobs of the non profit society in France launching my new scholarship development society focused in Brazil (association papagaio, you can email me here by the way)... 14 years after and a lot of huffs and puffs my idea of being Steve Jobs has long died, but the idea itself of scholarship development in developing areas is still alive and well. It has been dorming, paused, restarted, re-paused a couple of time and more importantly it matured.

When I came back from Manaus I had a couple of profissional courses that were administrated by that "school" in Manaus, and I wanted these course to be sponsored in France. With the idea of becoming a hub of fundings (I've always been a great dreamer!!) from France to Brasil. Not understanding a thing of finances, project management and all these "who needs that?!". Well, no need to tell you it did not really work the way I expected it and the things I wanted to buy to manage the NPS (for Non Profit Society) never really happened (I thought of a power Mac!!!! dude I was innocent!). I kind of paused it in 2001 when I went to UK to start my PhD and it sort of came back to life when I went to Bahia in 2004... but by the end of 2005 I had to think of some future for my society: I was starting to get a real job and I was going to Africa. Well you can think it was great, I could go and do some real work in real developing countries. Well again I had to rethink my plans because I was not going there on holidays and you know what happened to me there because you are reading this blog. I was not abducted nor abused (you kinky one!!), no I was simply left without time to do some voluntary work. I tried though, visiting a school which I still have a distant contact with. I gave books away, I even could organize a marathon with a school to get some money. But it was not really conclusive because I could not focus on sustainability and it appears to be the key of scholarship development. 2009 I arrive in Brasil again, get married, establish my life and now that it sounds like a settlement I find out that there is a school near by, a poor one that needs resources. Guess what: I'm going to start something here!! This time I'm bringing sustainability, I'm pushing people to come and teach, I want to prove that we can do something different. I will let you know in more details what will happen to that school, will start to take pictures of the kids, the teachers... 

Eventually that idea I got from some NGO in Manaus 14 years ago did not die though it could. The idea evolved, matured and now withstand the harsh of reality. I just stripped it off all the innocent preconceived ideas and left it with the practical and applicable part. Now when that will be working you will see some other things I have in mind and that can also work. Because on top of having survived, my idea infected some other people and it did replicate. My idea has it's own life and will evolve independently now, with or without my influence, consent or authority.

Carnaval

Ça fait un moment que je voulais blogger quelque chose spécifiquement sur le Carnaval au Brésil. C'est un phénomène culturel assez impressionnant et la quintessence d'une fête religieuse qui a (je pense) depuis lors perdu le cordon de la religion (sauf si à l'époque les soeurs pouvais déjà se vêtir de plumes..). Le carnaval est devenu au fil du temps (depuis que Getûlio Vargas, alors président du Brésil a décidé d'en faire un emblème national) la machine économique que nous connaissons. Maintenant vous allez me dire: Cranaval de Rio oui je connais, ou j'ai vu, mais savez vous qu'il y a un carnaval à Salvador qui est le plus festival de rue au Monde (plus de 1 million de spectateur par jour), il y en a aussi à Olinda, Recife, Ouro Preto, Fortaleza.... il y a aussi d'autres fêtes déguisées sur le principe du carnaval de Rio de Janeiro et Salvador à Parintins mais c'est autre chose... Cette année comme on avait de la visite on a décidé de faire les deux principaux carnaval, ceux de Salvador et de Rio de Janeiro. Réellement nous avons 2 carnaval bien différent et je vais les décrire du mieux que je peux:




Salvador:
Imaginez une ville entière se retrouve autour de camions de sons gigantesques  (blocos, trio eletricos), je veux dire que tu mets pas ça dans ton salon sinon les voisins vont avoir la porte des toilettes qui va sauter!! et pas les tiennes ceux du bout de la rue! Donc un son est assez balèze et tu suits le camion qui parcours molo molo un circuit prédéfinit (3 circuits différents en tout), ooof pas long en fait juste 5km :->. Sur le camion tu as un groupe entier d'énervés (eux aussi, encore plus que ceux qui les suivent) qui vont jouer de la musique avec un rythme qui varie du caribéen à l'africain (rythme afro quoi!!) à l'électro et jusque du métal parfois, ça dépend de l'humeur. Ça dure environ 5h (ouais c'est pas pour les fillettes!) pour faire le parcours entier. Les premiers camions sortent vers 12h et jusqu'au lendemain matin. Après en général tu restes et tu regardes les autres camions qui font le même parcours à un intervalle de 30min chacun (pour chaque circuit). Nous on commençait vers 15h et on finissait à 7h le lendemain, ça du Jeudi au Mercredi suivant donc c'est des "vacances"!!! Maintenant tu peux payer ou pas et là je vais un peu détailler pour que tout personne ne commence à me parler de ségrégation, élitiste ou autre petit blanc colonisateur!! Bon ce qui se passe c'est que tu as un pays de 180 millions dont une bonne moitié de fanatiques du carnaval (de près ou de loins), que les carnavals c'est Rio, São Paulo, Salvador, Recife, Olinda et probablement Fortaleza. Rio, SP c'est du spectacle; les froufrous, les jolis plumes et les femmes bronzées au sourire colgate qui explique pourquoi les gens portent des lunettes de soleil la nuit (non c'est pas pour justifier le lampadaire rencontré qui s'attribue à une bonne cuite). Les autres villes ce sont plus des festivals musicaux inspirés de Salvador donc à Salvador c'est là où tu rencontre le plus de gens d'où le record de plus gros festival de rue du Monde (oui madame!). Maintenant il n'y a QUE 6 jours de fêtes, 3 parcours et une 50e de groupe pour près de 10 millions de personnes qui vont passer. Carnaval tu as tout le Monde dans la rue, du mendiant au CEO mais le CEO il veux pas forcément se taper les problèmes de boissons du mendiant et il veux profiter de son carnaval. Donc il y a une partie que tu peux payer. Soit des tribunes (vous voyez ici un mini concert entre 2 camions d'énervés) le long des parcours (prix variables, de 20 à 400 euros) ou tu vois passer les énervés et la musique qui te déloge une carie! Soit tu est dans une zone autour du camion, à l'intérieur d'une corde où tu peux joyeusement te faire un traitement dentaire gratuit (les ultra sons c'est démodé, maintenant ce qui marche c'est la musique "axé" à 250dB). Maintenant pour ce cas là j'indique pas de rester à coté du camion où les enceintes sont (sans vraiment savoir pourquoi tiens!!). Les prix oscillent de la même façon donc tu as 5h de concert exclusif où tu sautes dans tous les coins. C'est vrai que les prix montent haut mais ils suivent une bête loi de l'offre et de la demande (ça c'est pour ceux qui lancent que le carnaval devient élitiste!!). Du coup c'est pas mal d'options, et tu t'énerves et tu t'énerve pendant au moins 5h. Une bonne formule c'est de faire un jour oui et un jour non.

Rio de Janeiro:
Bienvenu dans la cidade maravilhosa!! Ici c'est la carte postale du Brésil, nous petits européens croyons que tout ce qui se passe au Brésil se passe à Rio, ou que Rio à la taille du Brésil (la forêt, la plage, l'économie...).  Lorsque l'époque du carnaval arrive (les brésiliens disent juste "lorsque carnaval arrive") la ville ralentit et finit par ne plus avancer du tout pour se consacrer à cette célébration. Ça parait poêtique mais c'est en fait parfaitement réel, la ville devient tellement encombrée de voitures que rien n'avance, donc mieux vaut ne pas avoir envie de travailler ou de bouger pendant cette période parce que de toutes façons on ne va nulle part. Le carnaval de Rio est beaucoup plus pour regarder, un défilé de plumes avec le son de samba derrière, bon ça sert à rien de vous dire à quoi ça ressemble en fait tout le Monde connait cette partie là. Mais cette célébration est dans une arène, en fait c'est une rue qu'ils ont fermé et équipé avec des tribunes et des caméras pour que tout le Monde puisse assister depuis sa télé et ce lieu s'appelle sambódromo (le nom entier étant Sambódromo da Marquês de Sapucaí). Tu rentres comme dans un stade de foot et tu regarde passer des écoles de samba  les une après les autre. Généralement c'est une école par quartiers, certaines plus sérieuses que d'autres dont les meilleures peuvent défiler dans le sambódromo, les autres j'en parle plus bas. Il y a différentes classes d'écoles donc différentes qualités avec une compétition, des vainqueurs qui montent dans les classes et la meilleure qui gagne le carnaval et des vaincus qui descendent de classes. J'ai beaucoup moins participé à ce carnaval seulement parce que ma belle famille est de Bahia. Maintenant il existait et ça revient le carnaval de rue avec un système très similaire à celui de Salvador qui se passe par quartier avec un défilé des écoles de base qui aspirent à arriver au sambódromo et après un concert de musique ou simplement une occasion pour sortir et profiter de la ville. Comme Rio veux attirer le plus de Monde possible ils ont amené quelques artistes de Bahia qui viennent chanter sur Rio mais aussi des groupes cariocas avec le même dispositif, avec le même principe que Salvador. La nouveauté de ce principe et le manque d'expérience de Rio, ajouté au facteur "on le fait n'importe comment et ça va passer" fait que c'est beaucoup moins agréable à voir. Sur les 2 concerts de rue de Rio qu'on a fait avec ma femme on s'est retrouvé au milieu de 250000 velus énervés dans une rue qui ne pouvait en contenir que la moitié donc c'était... convivial, mes fringues qui sentaient bon la sueur et la bière. Si tu tombais dans les pommes on l'aurait pas vu tellement tu étais transporté plus que tu ne marchais peandant ces concerts!

Bon j'ai couvert le minimum indispensable pour pouvoir se faire une idée des carnavals de Rio et Salvador, maintenant c'est à vous de vous faire votre propre idée.

À bientôt

Fondamentalisme et éducation

Bonjour,
j'ai lu il y a peu une news qui est assez perturbante, et qui est une nouvelle dans une série très semblable. Le résultat des législatives au Koweït donne les islamistes vainqueurs (ici la version anglaise par France24 et vous trouverez sûrement d'autres liens). Cela n'est qu'un pays parmi tant d'autres qui est le résultat du fameux Printemps Arabe (un liens pour ceux qui viennent à peine de sortir de 24 mois d'internement  ^-^!). Les tunisiens ont élu en majorité un partis fondamentaliste modéré ce qui signifie que la religion sera présente de façon directe dans le gouvernement et les résolutions tunisiennes. Déjà il y a des problèmes avec la liberté d'expression (liens pour les abonnés aux édition digitales du Monde) et ceux qui sont à l'origine de la révolution vont passer d'un système oppressif laïc a un système oppressif religieux. En Algérie les régimes fondamentalistes sont très présents et répressifs (voir l'article du Monde sur la répression sur le culture et le divertissement en Algérie) et l'Égypte va probablement subir le même sort. Je ne vais pas parler de l’Afghanistan, Émirats Arabes Unis, Soudan, Éthiopie, Pakistan, Syrie (et plus encore) pour me focaliser sur ma ligne de pensée. Il y a quelques facteurs rédhibitoires qui sont le lit du fondamentalisme:

• Système éducatif pauvre ou inexistant
• Habitants soumis ou habitués à la répression (par exemple après des années de junte militaire)
• Pauvreté du pays, pas d'infrastructure ni de lois de protection à la consommation

En fait ce sont des facteurs qui sont communs à la dictature déguisée en démocratie, autocratie communiste (Corée du Nord, Cuba, Venezuela) et "république bananière" africaine comme la RDC, le Gabon (j'ai un post dessus) ou l'Angola. Chacun de ces systèmes a ses caractéristiques mais naît du même environnement.
Dans le cas du printemps arabe, les pauvres vont passer de l'un à l'autre: d'un régime de dictature déguisée à un régime répressif religieux.

Oppression par le pouvoir en place
Les pays de la bande méditerranéo-africaine ont tous subit le même sort: une junte militaire plus ou moins présente avec un système assez oppressif (limitation de la liberté politique, élimination de l'opposition politique) et parfois belliqueux (comme en Libye avec Khadafi en terroriste occasionnel qui aimait faire la une de la presse internationale). Moubarak en Égypte ne laissait pas son peuple respirer tout comme Ben Ali en Tunisie.

Corruption
Maintenant vous prenez la cas de ces deux pays et vous voyez qu'ils ont en commun une grande corruption, ils volaient les habitants de leurs pays respectifs et formaient un clan vaste et très ramifié dans le gouvernement pour pouvoir faire un effet de sangsue aux habitants de leur pays. C'était le cas aussi en Syrie, au Yémen, en Libye. Pour éviter de s'endormir on va aller par grands titres, mais il y aurait de quoi élaborer chacun de ces points avec des exemples:

• Pactes avec la cours internationale (commerce, accords...)
• Répression de la religion (cela a à voir avec la partie commerce international)
• Système éducatif élitiste, absent, et culture inexistante et réprimée:
• Sponsors internationaux pour l'élite qui peux s'éduquer
• Pas d'accès pour le peuple (bibliothèques, cinéma international...)
• Répression de la culture local, surtout contestataire

Maintient
Pour maintenir ses positions, le pouvoir en place déforme les faits, les actions négatives de l'opposition sont exagérées, les faits interprétés, le pouvoir en place propagandé. Plus le peuple est ignorant, plus cette tâche est simple. Cela passe aussi par le contrôle des médias nationaux et le filtrage de la presse internationale. Le pouvoir en place va démoniser l'opposition pour que le peuple ai la sensation que le pouvoir en place est protecteur (je pense à la Libye). Souvent les actions décrites au dessus sont des facteurs de réussite de la démonisation.

Conclusions

• Obscurantisme par le gouvernement
• De l'obscurantisme et l'oppression va naître le fondamentalisme, car le peuple ignorant et non lettré cherche un échappatoire
• les mouvements dissidents ne peuvent être tués, sont très virulents pour pouvoir survivre
• De la même façon que le pouvoir en place ment à son peuple, déforme les faits, les mouvements dissidents feront la même chose soit politiquement soit religieusement (une des causes de fondamentalisme)
• Si le mouvement a un caractère religieux il devient fondamentaliste et parfois il recherchera la même chose que le pouvoir en place
• La scène internationale, si elle a besoins du commerce avec le pays, favorisera celui qui lui donne le meilleur accès au ressources donc ne cherchera pas à aider l'opposition, voir aidera à l'étouffer (et là vous pouvez chercher, vous trouverez!).

L'éducation fut, est et sera toujours la meilleur arme contre le fondamentalisme, et l'extrémisme en général car il donne aux peuples la possibilité de penser pour soi-même ce qui est un acquis des pays industrialisés (et encore, j'aurais mes réserves) mais dès que l'on touche aux pays en voie de développements et ces nouvelles puissances montantes qui viennent à peine de s'industrialiser, on voit que l'éducation reste encore un luxe mondial. Les pays occidentaux (Premier et Deuxième Monde) on tout intérêt à promouvoir la vulgarisation de l'éducation, sinon ce sont ces Mondes qui vont devoir se plier aux lois fondamentalistes des Mondes émergeants ou en voie de développement, par simple action d'immigration doublée de natalité. Les immigrants issus de pays du Tiers Monde ont une natalité très forte et ont tendance à ne pas s'ouvrir aux principes de vie "à l'occidentale" par obscurantisme et peur de perdre leur identité. Ils ont immigré souvent par besoins ou par rêve et rencontrent des réalités qui ne leur sont pas favorable. Ils adoptent une attitude négationniste ou dépressive qui entraîne la génération suivante vers une attitude négationniste. Cercle vicieux d'un manque éducatif des deux parties car si l'une n'a jamais reçu l'éducation nécessaire, l'autre a oublié que l'éducation n'est pas un acquis et que son accès à l'éducation par défaut n'est pas si ancienne (100 ans à l'échelle d'une civilisation c'est peu).

Etats contre Multinationales

Je viens de lire aujourd'hui un texte sur wikipedia, en portugais, d'un barrage en train d'être construit dans le Nord-est du Brésil, près de la frontière colombienne: Jirau. Et ils racontent l'histoire d'une mutinerie il y a 3 semaines (genre t'entends pas souvent parler de mutineries ou les gens brûlent les bus et les maison, et ou l'armée intervient). Quand on apprend pourquoi les révoltes ont eu lieu (faut savoir parler portugais parce que les news voyagent pas, en plus c'est dans les journaux locaux parce que les nationaux sont filtrés), on voit que les travailleurs se trouvaient dans une zone hautement infestée par la malaria et que les conditions de travail n'étaient pas adéquates (pas de médecin visiblement, beaucoup de travailleurs qui perdent conscience sur le lieu de travail et en cas de malaise une période d'observation de 10 min!! celle là elle sent bien l'esclavagiste). En plus leurs salaires n'avaient pas suivit l'inflation locale. En plus de conditions précaires de sécurité liée à l'environnement de travail. Il faut commencer à piocher un peu dans la toile pour se rendre compte que GDF Suez est un partenaire (au travers d'un consortium) dans la construction du barrage et que depuis l'obtention des licences de constructions ils ont déjà tenté de changer de lieu (l'état leur a filé une lourde de près d'1.5 million de reais (700Keuros) pour ça, plus de la déforestation illégale en zone de conservation, la total pour un groupe social et soucieux de l'environnement. Mais bon on est au Brésil, c'est pas la France donc c'est pas pareil!! Quand Libération a fait un article dessus, GDF Suez c'est empressé de faire une réponse corporative. 

Ma réponse à tout ça? GDF n'est pas blamer! Non la dessus on peux pas vraiment la blamer parce que qui devrait s'occuper de son peuple est le gouvernement, pas une entreprise internationale. Si les parlementaires brésiliens se laissent acheter par les entreprises qui viennent prospecter la faute est à mettre ou aux parlementaires ou au système qui a permis a des entreprise de gonfler jusqu'à pouvoir corrompre qui elle veux. Malheureusement une multinationale est un crocodile, un prédateur froid et taillé pour l'efficacité qui n'hésite pas à manger jusqu'à son propre membre s'il y a un manque de nourriture, tant que le noyaux n'est pas atteint. La métaphore vient des expansions et contractions économiques mondiales et comment les multinationales gèrent leurs personnel et biens. Un gouvernement est là pour garantir que son peuple et son territoire suivent une intégrité comme définit par la charte établie depuis son indépendance. Un exemple contraire à ce que vivent les habitant de la Rondonia  est l'interdiction en France du forage pour extraire le gaz de schiste. On aurait pu laisser Total ou d'autre au nom de l'expansion économique commencer à prospecter et gentiment souiller les nappes phréatiques fragiles mais les pressions sociales ont été plus fortes que l'argent.

Girls just want to have fun (Total chante Cindy Lauper)

Je continue un peu sur les déboires des companies pétrolières qui veulent prouver qu'elles peuvent opérer sans (trop) de dégats mais le problème c'est que comme pour les avions, les accidents ils n'y en a pas des masses mais quand ils arrivent ils font mal. Maintenant après BP c'est Total qui se médiatise non pas pour ses parties de poker au Gabon mais par une jolie fuite en Mer du Nord. Le problème avec l'Europe ou les US c'est que là il y a des caméras. Au Nigeria Shell (et d'autres) est tranquille, il y a à peu près un Macondo par an mais comme Greenpeace y met pas les pieds ça se voit moins. Maintenant en Europe c'est autre chose, comme on coupe pas les mains (ou plus intime) des activistes ils peuvent se la jouer et hurler au scandale sans problèmes. J'ai pas spécialement envie de débattre sur les capacités de Total à colmater une fuite gaz (ça fait un peu manuel de plomberie). Genre Mario est en vacance avec la princesse donc Total peux jouer au jokari en attendant qu'il revienne et le gaz continue de fuir (il reviennent que semaine prochaine!)... mais c'est pas si polluant que du pétrole donc ça va Total est sauf!!

J'ai pas résisté quand j'ai vu cette photo, sont trop beaux ces amoureux du cosplay!!

Un jour quelqu'un va vraiment se blesser... suite

Suite de mon post il y a quelques mois sur les acrobaties bancaires et, en fait, comment les banques passent d'une position de conseil à l'investissement à une position de vampire nosferatusien version médievale, fer rouillé et gros qui tache. Je me visualise bien là Ving Rhames - Marcellus Wallace - qui fait sa tirade après avoir shooté les intimités de Zed!! "I'ma call a couple of hard, pipe-hittin' niggas to go to work on homes here with a pair of pliers and a blowtorch. You hear me talkin' hillbilly boy? I ain't through with you by damn sight. I'ma get medieval on your ass.". Tout ça pour montrer que visiblement il y a une certaine distorsion entre notre vision de ce qui se passe dans une banque et la propre vision de la banque. Sporadiquement cela fait surface quand l'un des employé vu comme une "high liability" nous pète un coup de trafalgar et, comme les anglais ont cette expression très... visuelle et parfumée..."shit hit the fan" et les plus faibles puent parce qu'ils ont pas le parapluie (enfin ça c'est toute l'histoire de l'humanité résumée). Ce qui me pousse à écrire cette aprem de très basse inspiration laborale est ce texte qui a été twité par un ami Vahid c'est ce titre du NYTimes qui est interpelant parce que redondant. Redondant pour Goldman (Fabulous Fab, God's Work, Manipulation et d'autre) on en ferait un livre juste avec tout ce qu'ils sont capables de faire, mais redondant aussi pour l'industrie. La ligne de pensée m'amène vers un des coins de la pièce qui est la taille de ces entreprises, tellement importante qu'elle se comparent aux États et donc très sensiblement négocient avec eux, ont des analystes plus compétents (payent mieux) et du coup peuvent manipuler plus facilenment. Lois, finances et marchés sont les cibles et comme une fois que la loi est passé c'est irréversible tu as ton terrain de jeux juste pour toi... Bon aller je dois justifier mon salaire moi!

News Feed on Carbon Dioxide

Good morning,

I feel like pretty inspired today!!
my digest of Carbon Dioxide news... click here!!

Have a good day!

Feed on sustainable energy

Hi all,

the carnival got me quiet!!! But now that's behind us so there you go!
this week's digest on sustainable energy...click here!

Enjoy, do not hesitate to comment and share please!

Un endroit bizarre

Je suis sur Houston pour la semaine. Dans mon premier post sur les US je parlais de la demesure de cette ville. Aujourd'hui j'ai eu droit a tout autre chose. Je voulais m'entrainer un peu et j'avais pas le courage de courir donc je me suis dis que j'allais aller a une salle de musculation, en general ils ont des salles vides, genre salles de danse et pour la capoeira en general c'est plutot un bon endroit. Donc je paye pour reserver la salle, qui en fait ne m'etais pas reserve mais j'ai compris cela trop tard (comme quoi il y a des fois les texans je les comprend pas!!). La il y a un gars en baggies et hoddies qui s'echauffe et une maman chinoise qui mettais ses pompes de danse, donc je me dis: badass breakdancer et danseuse de salsa. Cool, le niveau va etre plutot bon et l'energie bonne. Le gars commence a faire des mouvements bizarre et je me dis en fait c'est un danceur ballet qui doit faire ses mouvements dans son coins, chacun ses methodes apres tout, la danseuse etait encore en train de s'enerver sur ses pompes de danse. A partir de la tout allait bien, moi je commencait a faire mes mouvements pour me chauffer, on etait tous syncro. La ou cela a commence a craindre c'est quand j'entendais des couinmenents du gars, je me disais qu'il devait repeter une piece et je commencais presque a avoir de la peine pour lui, vu que cela faisait moitie efemine, soit il etait de l'autre cote du fosse soit c'etait force et la c'est dommage pour lui!Mais la je me suis fais peur quand la maman chinoise a pousse le son: Julio Iglesias, musique de salon poussive de vieux en phase avancee.. 0_o A partir de la je dois dire que ma capoeira s'en est trouve affectee, parce que le breaker montait crechendo dans les couinements et commenciat a faire des trucs qui ressemblaient une bataille de Pikachou ou des nouveaux mangas avec les toupies magiques! Moitie flippant comme situation. La maman chinoise nous faisait des pas paresseux collee au miroir (parfois vraiment scotchee) et le breaker se transformait gentillement en gamine de 6 ans qui se faisait son episode de pokemon sous LSD. Va essayer de te concentrer quand tu as un pokemon poilu qui fait des mouvement de fillettes de 7 ans s'imaginant faire du wushu et une maman chinoise qui faisait ses repetitions de tango argentain de salon (version geriatrie). Voila ce que cela donne de reprimer un peuple dans le puritanisme: un pikachou sous LSD et une danseuse de tango de salon progeriat!!! vive les Iouaisseu!!!!

News Feed on Carbon Dioxide

Good morning,

my digest of Carbon Dioxide news... click here!!

Have a good day!

Weekly feed on sustainable energy

Hi all,

this week's digest on sustainable energy...click here!

Enjoy, do not hesitate to comment, share, scream... whatever you feel like as long as I can hear it!!

Macondo, 19 months later

Le mois dernier j'avais fais un post sur Macondo et comment BP essayait d'entrainer Halliburton avec lui dans sa descente aux enfers. Visiblemetn le DoJ a décidé que Halliburton n'appartenait pas aux pariats, malgré de très belles rumeurs sur des effaçages de données sur les disques durs. Je lisais à nouveau l'article où j'avais laissé le commentaire et ce bloggueur (pseudo au nom de Riskmanagement) et ses commentaires étaient très pertinents. Il parlait de l'utilisation par BP du Corexit, le fameux dispersant de flaque d'huile qui en fait réduit l'hydrophobie et augmente la masse, d'où le fait qu'il commençait à flotter entre les eaux (plumes sous marines). Ce Corexit visiblement est très utilisé aux US encore et est un des composants des effluents du Mississipy (selon RiskManagement). Donc ce qui c'est sûrement passé dans la tête du responsable qui a pris la décision c'est qu'il savait que le Corexit était encore commun et que cela n'allait pas changer la donne beaucoup, et que c'était un moindre pris à payer que d'avoir une marée noire dans le golfe. Ce qu'il n'avait pas calculé (en même temps c'est pas son boulot) c'est que les médias pourraient sauter sur le fait que c'est un produit officiellement bannit. Comme le produit entre temps avait sûrement été acheté en trés grande quantité (pour BP) pour baisser le prix ou en quantité plus faible (petits industriels), il fallait l'écouler pour ne pas se retrouver avec ce produit en stock. Le gros problème allait être le recyclage de ce produit devenu toxique.
Qui a déjè eu à faire à des bâtiments en amiante comprend quels sont les problèmes de la détoxication et les coûts qui s'en suivent. Donc déjà qu'ils ont acheté le produit, en plus ils vont devoir payer pour s'en débarasser. la zone en gros!!! La solution est un écoulement sous le bras, business as usual, ni vu ni connu. Le pire est que toutes ses entreprises qui ont acheté du Corexit avant qu'il soit bannit ont tous pensé la même chose, la plupart n'ayant pas une quantité importante du produit. Sauf que la somme des petits consomateurs donne une quantité importante de produit rejeté dans le fleuve de façon journalière. Bon, ce n'est qu'une théorie infondée mais vous comprenez le fonctionnement. BP n'a pas fait le liens avec les médias parce que simplement personne n'a songé à s'en préoccuper. Big mistake!!

Mais bon encore une fois je diverge et ce qui m'amène à publier aujourd'hui est plus le fait que Halliburton s'est fait tailler un short en traversant la motorway mais le camion BP lui est pas passé dessus!! Ça ramène la question à savoir vers qui Halliburton va se tourner pour lui passer une partie des frais de la catastrophes.

New Feed on sustainable energy

Good morning, I tried to speed up my blog feed but with the work it is not easy. The thing is I discover all these new website that recompile all thoughts and things that interests you. I tried scoop.it and so far I am quite interested by the format. So I will see if I can post a digest of that, it might help you understand furthermore why I come to the conclusions I write: first digest for renewable energy.

So far it is just a link, I'll try to see if I cannot integrate the website within my blog...

Macondo, 18 months later

First of all, happy 2012, for all of you, let this year bring you wealth and health. 

As you all know the Macondo catastrophe in Gulf of Mexico is still been settled by the US Dpt of Justice. After the astronomic 41 billions of dollars will be spent (and already part of it has been spent) by BP to recover the local economy and ecology. But the responsibilities are not yet fully understood, agreed and settled. A quick article from Reuters forwarded by the Finantial Times came to my twitter account saying BP is trying to give full responsibility to Halliburton for the disaster. The whole story forwarded by FT can be found here, and there was this comment posted by a person called RiskManager that was very interesting and constructive. I did take the liberty to copy-paste it in order for all my readers to see it and I did insert some links to wikipedia for the technical terms, just in case:

If, as seems likely, the majority (perhaps 80%) of the blame ends up with the contractors, people will have to invoke amnesia to avoid facing the awful truth. Yep, everything you so passionately (hysterically?) believed about this event was false. For example:

1. The actual environmental impact was very modest
2. The impact of the human hysteria was massive, in economic and stress related mental health problems
3. BP told the truth (too much as it happened) all the time
4. Contractors tried to stay silent or lied when forced into a corner
5. BP failed in its oversight of contractors
6. Contractors failed in their duties, seemingly negligently. All of them. Cameron made a blowout preventer that did not work, Halliburton used a defective cement design then tries to cover up, Transocean mismanaged the well and then failed in every step of blowout detection and response procedure

Now, when I find that my understanding of something is totally, utterly wrong and that as a result I have bayed for the blood of someone not to blame as I claimed, I would look back to find out why if only to avoid being so humiliated again (who likes to find out they have stupidly self harmed?)

The answer to why you had it totally wrong was..... the media..... US politicians.

Well we are stuck with the politicans until election time. Then they can be held to account. But who holds the media to account?

You do.

Change what you read. Mass media is making you more ignorant the more you read. Nasim Taleb said this, he is correct, mass media is corrosive to intelligence but strong fertilizer for hysterical sensationalism and fear, which of course is why you dear reader "consume" it. Just don't pretend it is making you smarter. It isn't.

To his comment I would like to add two things:

• I do not agree with this point. We do not know yet the extend of the environmental impact as the oil plumes have been mixed with some very toxic chemical thanks to BP's mitigation plans and the underwater currents are extremely powerful and ride the entire ocean(s). You also seem to forget all the political and hide'n-seek game BP played at that time. Even if they are not faulty of every thing, they were nowhere near innocence.

• I know the fault as to be directed ALSO to contractors, but not only. 80% for me is too much if you consider BP runs its priorities by agenda. Do not forget they were late on schedule, the rig contract is strict and BP spent much more money than they expected. I have the feeling there has been of couple of heated meetings and nobody wanted to angry up the client, hence little resistance might have been encountered if BP asked for a speed up in the process. When the doors are closed we all know that what is on paper can be short cutted if it can make your boss happier. Cutting a couple of 100k WILL make your boss happier. Things are not black and white and all the parties involved into these meetings have to be made accountable for the final decisions, either for having taken the decision or just for not having resisted enough. Sometimes when the contractor steps up strongly against the client it isn't beneficial at first, but when the big picture shows up then everybody is happy. The fact that a catastrophe like this one has never happened before, nobody could assess the yet-to-come damages. Now I totally agree with the government responsibility, for lack of oversight and too much appeal for profit. This is the down side of a wide open economy, when you allow too much freedom to one economy it actually harms the other co-existing with.

Feel free to comment!!