How and why the rich destroy the planet

[jean63]

Well, I'll start by putting here the "4th cover" (I think that's the term used ..) of the book by Hervé KEMPF, one of the most famous environment journalists.

Hervé KEMPF:
For almost 2 years, he has been working to have ecology recognized as an information sector in its own right and has cleared a number of files on climate change, nuclear, biodiversity or GMOs. After having founded Reporterre, he worked at Courrier International in The research and now at Monde.

Here :
"We are at a moment in history which poses a radically new challenge to the human species: for the first time, its prodigious dynamism is coming up against the limits of the biosphere and endangering its future. Living in this moment means that we are We must collectively find the means to orient differently this human energy and this desire for progress.This is a magnificent but formidable challenge.

However, a predatory and greedy ruling class, wasting its prebends (his fixed income), misusing power, obstructs the change of course which is urgently needed. It does not carry any project, is not animated by any ideal, does not deliver any mobilizing word. After having triumphed over Sovietism, the neoliberal ideology can only self-celebrate. Almost all spheres of power and influence are subject to his pseudo-realism, which claims that any alternative is impossible and that the only imaginable path is that which leads to increasing wealth ever more..

This representation of the world is not only ........... to follow

The rest soon. @ +

[Christophe]

Uh ... it's not good to leave us hungry like this

[jean63]

it's coming ; no time right away ................ see part of the 4th ..

[jean63]

Billionaires are more and more numerous and have nothing to do with global warming, so they see a lot of CO2 in the atmosphere directly or indirectly: see explanations in the book by Hervé Kempf !!!! (they boost and obviously participate in the growth called into question, including by N. Hulot last night against Sarkozy in "To you to judge".

The problem is not that the money is in their hands or not, it is that it is a reflection of the non-distribution of wealth that could be used to feed the poor and invest massively in renewable energies.

>> Friday 09 March 2007 9:16

The circle of billionaires widens further, Gates unbeatable, according to Forbes magazine

NEW YORK (AFP), 00:13
© AFP

Microsoft CEO Bill Gates, Washington, March 7, 2007The circle of billionaires on the planet continues to grow, according to the 2007 ranking of the greatest fortunes of Forbes magazine, marked by an unchanged top 5 dominated by the co -Founder of Microsoft Bill Gates and by a rise in power of Asia and Russia.

From one year to the next, the billionaires club has further accelerated its progress, now hosting an absolute record of 946 people thanks to 153 new members, against 102 new billionaires last year.

“It seems we can't get rid of billionaires!” Joked Forbes official Luisa Kroll during a press briefing. "On both sides of the globe, this growth is the simple reflection of a dynamic global economy," she added, referring to "a boom" in financial markets, real estate, commodities and high- tech.

The cumulative amount of these 946 fortunes reaches an absolute record of 3.500 billion dollars (+ 35%), almost double the gross domestic product (GDP) of France, 9th world economy.

In the 2007 ranking, the top 5 is unchanged but the competition is fierce.

For the 13th consecutive year, the American Bill Gates is the richest man in the world with a fortune estimated at 56 billion. But the gap is narrowing with his partner in charities and businessman Warren Buffet, also American (52 billion).

The Mexican investor Carlos Slim, 3rd (49 billion), made "the strongest progression of the decade" underlines Forbes, pocketing an additional 19 billion from one year to the next.

The Swedish family Kamprad, founder of the Ikea furniture stores, is 4th (33 billion), closely followed by the Indian businessman Lakshmi Mittal (32 billion).

Among the 15 French fortunes in the ranking, the boss of the luxury group LVMH Bernard Arnaud leads the race for the 2nd consecutive year (26 billion, 7th place) ahead of the boss of l'Oréal Liliane Bettencourt (20,7 billion, 12th place), the richest of the 83 women billionaires on the planet.

By geographic distribution, the United States dominates 415 fortunes (+44), while Africa is still absent from the 53 nations present in the ranking.

Asia, with 160 fortunes, "had a dazzling year", Judge Luisa Kroll, with 45 new billionaires, a third of them in China.

Hong Kong is home to 21 fortunes and China 20. The latter has 13 new billionaires, including two "self-made" businesswomen and a manufacturer of dumplings (ravioli).

On the Old Continent, which has 242 billionaires (46 newcomers), "Russia is obviously in the headlines", according to Forbes, with 19 entries in the ranking and a total of 53 billionaires.

Now, Russia is neck and neck with Germany (55 billionaires), which is traditionally the 2nd stronghold of billionaires behind the United States. In value, Russia exceeds Germany, with aggregate fortunes of $ 282 billion and $ 245 billion respectively. These billionaires are young, 46 years on average, against an average age of 62 in the ranking.

Spain has 10 new billionaires (20 in total). The boss of the Zara clothing chain, Amancio Ortega, rose to 8th place.

In the Middle East, home to 68 billionaires, Turkey dominates with 25 fortunes.

Hind Hariri, the daughter of the assassinated Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, leaves the classification, after having been last year the youngest billionaire, and cedes this title to the German heir Albert von Thurn und Taxis, 23 years old.

Among the 17 outings in the ranking, note the Japanese Yoshiaki Tsutsumi, the richest man in the world in the 80s, and the fortunes of online gaming Ruth Parasol, Russell DeLeon, and Calvin Ayre.