The Death of Transparency
UK:
Sir Fred Goodwin, the former chief executive of the Royal Bank of Scotland, has obtained a super-injunction banning the publication of information about him, it has been disclosed on the floor of the House of Commons.
Super-injunctions – under which even reporting the existence of the injunction is banned – are increasingly being used by powerful corporations and wealthy individuals to stop the media from publishing information.
Huffington Post + AOL
As the founder of a city state, you find a plot of land (domain name and hosting), convince some early pioneers to trek out and set up camp (celebrities), and then urge anyone and everyone to participate, as a commenter or a writer (citizens).
You work to gain more exposure for the citizenry, earn ad revenue to cover the bill and grow, and in the end you have a thriving ecosystem of like-minded people achieving common purpose.
Suddenly, the rentiers are gathering and building their forces in the distance. You:
- A. Say no, kick the envoy into the well, and continue about your business.
- B. Realize they have superior forces, negotiate a good but underfunded deal, and go about your business. (Reddit.)
- C. Sell the city and keep all the profits despite all, that is all, of the heavy lifting being done by your citizens. And, to add insult to injury, the invaders take over, and then turn around and massacre their own. (Ariana Huffington.)
Marijuana Grey Market + Capital
Emphasis mine:
Growing marijuana violates federal law, and recreational use of the drug remains illegal at the state level. That puts related businesses at risk of getting shut down by law enforcement. By focusing on equipment, services and technology, Pakulis and Peterson aim to sidestep the legal pitfalls of the trade while reaping the benefits of its expansion.
“This is one we’re finishing up, what we call our bloom room,” he said. Peterson, 36, sells the trailers for $30,000 to $80,000 as “plug-and-play” facilities for cultivating pot. Customers don’t need to buy hydroponic equipment or even stay on-site — lighting, temperature, nutrients, water and humidity can be operated remotely via an iPhone app.
The legalization of medical marijuana — permitted in at least 15 states — has kicked off a booming economy in ancillary goods. Startups such as Peterson’s GrowOp Technology Ltd. andGeneral Cannabis Inc. (CANA) compare the phenomenon to the California gold rush, when the people making the real money were the ones selling pick axes and shovels. Both companies are planning initial public offerings, part of an effort to remove the stigma from what’s seen as a multibillion-dollar industry.
Passive House
A Passive House is a very well-insulated, virtually air-tight building that is primarily heated by passive solar gain and by internal gains from people, electrical equipment, etc. Energy losses are minimized. Any remaining heat demand is provided by an extremely small source. Avoidance of heat gain through shading and window orientation also helps to limit any cooling load, which is similarly minimized. An energy recovery ventilator provides a constant, balanced fresh air supply. The result is an impressive system that not only saves up to 90% of space heating costs, but also provides a uniquely terrific indoor air quality.
“Passive” describes well this system’s underlying receptivity and retention capacity. Working with natural resources, free solar energy is captured and applied efficiently, instead of relying predominantly on ‘active’ systems to bring a building to ‘zero’ energy. High performance triple-glazed windows, super-insulation, an airtight building shell, limitation of thermal bridging and balanced energy recovery ventilation make possible extraordinary reductions in energy use and carbon emission.
Impact of Climate Change Index
McGill has an index that measures the impact of climate change on human populations across the world.
