MUENCHHAUSEN, Jan. 1, 2016

MUENCHHAUSEN

AN ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER ABOUT ENVIRONMENT,

RENEWABLE RESOURCE TECHNOLOGY,

AND RELATED TOPICS

By BOOTSTRAP PRESS, INC.

BETHESDA, MD

JJGREENBARON(at)VERIZON.NET

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January 1, 2016

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WELCOME!

The Green Baron (TGB) welcomes one and all who take the time to read Muenchhausen. He aims to “tell it like it is” as much as possible, and avoid advocacy and ideological positions. There are enough of those to go around in other publications. 

The Green Baron also welcomes comments from anyone who may read Muenchhausen. Please send comments to the e-mail address above.

HAPPY NEW YEAR (?)

TGB wishes whatever readers he may have a Happy New Year. Please excuse his general pessimism, but given the state of matters in the world today, and as they developed in recent years, TGB questions just how happy, healthy, and prosperous this New Year may turn out to be. Any happiness or lack of may well be reflected in results of the coming general elections to be held, if TGB is correct, on November 8, 2016. Given how things are today, he refuses to guarantee 100% that there indeed will be elections.

COP21

Nothing to do with any police forces. COP21 is the name of the recently concluded climate conference in Paris (ended December 12, 2015, correct?). Given that there are no sanctions involved against those countries that fail to comply with the terms of such agreement as was reached at COP21, perhaps it can be evaluated, generally, as a cipher. Is it possible that its terms can be "enforced" through moral suasion and international public shaming of those nations that do not comply or make a credible effort to do so? Maybe, but TGB would not recommend holding one's breath. Meanwhile, in cities such as Beijing, New Delhi, and Tehran, one might often be doing well by holding one's breath. Given that this is not a viable option, folks in those cities wear face masks and, yes, even purchase cans of air from non-polluted places.

By the way, why was COP21 not carried out as negotiations for a treaty? One possible reason: The US Constitution requires American ratification of an international treaty by two-thirds of members of the US Senate present and voting. Under current circumstances, it is unlikely that such ratification would have been voted.

LESS EFFECTIVE DRUGS

It is becoming evident that drugs being used against many bacterial infections--namely antibiotics--are becoming decreasingly effective. Perhaps future research may uncover ways to combat such microbial resistance to these drugs. The best means for an individual to avoid the need for them is to avoid contracting a bacterial disease if that is at all possible. 

Again, Happy New Year! Sleep well, if you can.