Can Portugal handle a three-meters average sea rise?

Really nice news from Dutch News, summing up of a study on the ability of The Netherlands to withstand the expected sea rise over the next decades. But it elicits the question, are other countries ready?

The Judicial Branch

Looking at all of what's happening today, one should notice that they are still a sign of some health on the Portuguese democracy. These actions show that the judicial power is still independent - and that's an essential part of a democracy.

China

"China economics raise concerns on the World economy" might be a recurring theme. But there is goes - again. Overall, it might be that Chinese political system has already closed in the maximum efficiencies it has to offer - even economically and financially. And thus, all we are talking about are just symptoms and not causes. But, feel free to read the article on CNN.com . 

Independence

The Central European Bank, once more showing the importance of independent central banks. Inflation is a monster that eats economies and families for breakfast and as such is important to control is as fast as possible, even when it hurts. And it hurts a lot! But one needs only to look at Argentina to realize how fundamental is this action.

An independent central bank can do these unpopular measures in a way no elected-Government can.

1896

Svante Arrhenius, a Swedish scientist that won the Chemistry Nobel Prize in 1903, projected through simple calculations in 1896 that the massive emission of carbon dioxide through industrial processes would ultimately warm the Earth's atmosphere. His work is still a foundational stone of climatology.

700 year-old markings

 I can't stop being amazed at 700-year old stone markings made by masons in a medieval castle. They were engraved during the castle construction, probably by masons that couldn't read or write, but they stood the test of time, as a bridge between a labor-hand and a marketeer that deals with AI, 700 years apart.

Coal

The extreme simplicity of coal, its cost and availability as an energy source are framing (as f.ck.ing) the fight against climate change. We will not succeeding in stoping climate change if we can't sort out this triple disadvantage of renewables vs coal. It will be really hard to do it.