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babylon
May 2009 
What does sustainability mean for you?
ruth
From the time I was a child in the very late 1950's my mother has saved every plastic bag, every elastic and gently ushered each house spider to safety. My parents gardened, composted and used environmentally friendly products for as long as I remember. I osmosed global economics and environmentalism as I osmosed Martin Buber.
Now half a century later I see the planet almost fully in the clutches of global oil companies, banks, automanufacturers , conglomerates (who can move manufacturing/jobs, resources, and markets around the world on a whim) and telecommunications corporations who can act as apologists and enthusiasts for it all.
http://www.forbes.com/lists/2007/18/biz_07forbes2000_The-Global-2000_Rank.html
I am a fatalist. Though some things remain sustainable, like the value of a friend - communion:
Ecclesiastes:
3 What profit has a man from all his labor In which he toils under the sun?
4 One generation passes away, and another generation comes; But the earth abides forever.
5 The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, And hastens to the place where it arose.
6 The wind goes toward the south, And turns around to the north; The wind whirls about continually, And comes again on its circuit.
7 All the rivers run into the sea, Yet the sea is not full; To the place from which the rivers come, There they return again.
8 All things are full of labor; Man cannot express it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, Nor the ear filled with hearing.
9 That which has been is what will be, That which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there anything of which it may be said, " See, this is new"? It has already been in ancient times before us.
11 There is no remembrance of former things, Nor will there be any remembrance of things that are to come By those who will come after.
2:1 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:
2 A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted;
3 A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up;
4 A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away;
7 A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;
8 A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace.
4:9 Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor.
10 For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up.
11 Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.
And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
6:12 For who knows what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he passes like a shadow? Who can tell a man what will happen after him under the sun?
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And I admire the prophets:
Thievery Corporation - Richest man in Babylon
http://www.forbes.com/lists/2007/18/biz_07forbes2000_The-Global-2000_Rank.html
1 | United States | Banking | 146.56 | 21.54 | 1,884.32 | 247.42 | |
2 | United States | Banking | 116.57 | 21.13 | 1,459.74 | 226.61 | |
3 | United Kingdom | Banking | 121.51 | 16.63 | 1,860.76 | 202.29 | |
4 | United States | Conglomerates | 163.39 | 20.83 | 697.24 | 358.98 | |
5 | United States | Banking | 99.30 | 14.44 | 1,351.52 | 170.97 | |
6 | United States | Insurance | 113.19 | 14.01 | 979.41 | 174.47 | |
7 | United States | Oil & Gas Operations | 335.09 | 39.50 | 223.95 | 410.65 | |
8 | Netherlands | Oil & Gas Operations | 318.85 | 25.44 | 232.31 | 208.25 | |
9 | Switzerland | Diversified Financials | 105.59 | 9.78 | 1,776.89 | 116.84 | |
10 | Netherlands | Insurance | 153.44 | 9.65 | 1,615.05 | 93.99 | |
11 | United Kingdom | Oil & Gas Operations | 265.91 | 22.29 | 217.60 | 198.14 | |
12 | Japan | Consumer Durables | 179.02 | 11.68 | 243.60 | 217.69 | |
13 | United Kingdom | Banking | 77.41 | 12.51 | 1,705.35 | 124.13 | |
14 | France | Banking | 89.16 | 9.64 | 1,898.19 | 97.03 | |
15 | Germany | Insurance | 125.33 | 8.81 | 1,380.88 | 87.22 | |
16 | United States | Diversified Financials | 98.54 | 11.02 | 248.44 | 163.79 | |
17 | United States | Retailing | 348.65 | 11.29 | 151.19 | 201.36 | |
18 | United Kingdom | Banking | 67.71 | 8.95 | 1,949.17 | 94.79 | |
19 | United States | Oil & Gas Operations | 195.34 | 17.14 | 132.63 | 149.37 | |
19 | France | Oil & Gas Operations | 175.05 | 15.53 | 138.82 | 152.62 |
21 | United Kingdom | Banking | 84.28 | 7.59 | 1,156.61 | 79.83 | |
22 | United States | Oil & Gas Operations | 167.58 | 15.55 | 164.78 | 107.39 | |
23 | France | Insurance | 98.85 | 6.38 | 666.47 | 87.64 | |
24 | France | Banking | 84.47 | 6.55 | 1,259.32 | 77.62 | |
25 | United States | Diversified Financials | 69.35 | 9.54 | 838.20 | 83.31 | |
25 | United States | Diversified Financials | 76.55 | 7.47 | 1,120.65 | 79.76 | |
27 | Spain | Banking | 62.34 | 7.37 | 945.86 | 115.75 | |
27 | Germany | Diversified Financials | 95.50 | 7.45 | 1,485.58 | 65.15 | |
29 | United States | Telecommunications Services | 63.06 | 7.36 | 270.63 | 229.78 | |
30 | France | Utilities | 77.75 | 7.39 | 233.40 | 133.37 | |
31 | Switzerland | Diversified Financials | 65.64 | 9.05 | 1,029.22 | 74.55 | |
32 | United States | Diversified Financials | 68.62 | 7.50 | 841.30 | 73.78 | |
33 | United States | Household & Personal Products | 73.60 | 9.67 | 137.30 | 200.34 | |
34 | United States | Banking | 47.98 | 8.48 | 482.00 | 117.19 | |
35 | United States | Banking | 46.81 | 7.79 | 707.12 | 105.42 | |
36 | Italy | Oil & Gas Operations | 113.59 | 12.16 | 96.91 | 122.48 | |
37 | Netherlands | Diversified Financials | 121.19 | 5.46 | 1,020.98 | 55.45 | |
38 | United States | Telecommunications Services | 88.14 | 6.24 | 188.80 | 109.19 | |
39 | United States | Food Drink & Tobacco | 70.32 | 12.02 | 104.27 | 176.64 | |
40 | Japan | Banking | 35.01 | 6.56 | 1,585.77 | 124.55 | |
41 | China | Oil & Gas Operations | 68.43 | 16.53 | 96.42 | 208.76 | |
42 | United States | Software & Services | 91.42 | 9.49 | 103.23 | 139.92 | |
43 | Russia | Oil & Gas Operations | 48.13 | 10.82 | 151.18 | 216.14 | |
44 | Netherlands | Banking | 65.59 | 6.22 | 1,302.19 | 64.92 | |
45 | France | Banking | 77.66 | 4.60 | 1,246.97 | 64.52 | |
46 | Spain | Telecommunications Services | 69.79 | 8.22 | 132.30 | 104.95 | |
47 | Germany | Utilities | 80.53 | 6.34 | 167.11 | 86.32 | |
48 | United States | Drugs & Biotechnology | 48.37 | 19.34 | 108.59 | 179.97 | |
49 | Germany | Consumer Durables | 199.99 | 4.26 | 235.11 | 68.78 | |
50 | Brazil | Oil & Gas Operations | 74.12 | 12.14 | 95.61 | 99.29 | |
51 | Switzerland | Food Drink & Tobacco | 80.70 | 7.54 | 81.45 | 142.65 | |
52 | United Kingdom | Banking | 57.33 | 5.49 | 672.40 | 63.43 | |
53 | China | Banking | 31.98 | 4.65 | 800.04 | 176.03 | |
54 | Spain | Banking | 37.89 | 5.94 | 536.05 | 82.55 | |
55 | United States | Technology Hardware & Equip | 94.08 | 6.52 | 81.31 | 106.27 | |
56 | Germany | Telecommunications Services | 80.93 | 4.23 | 159.90 | 78.08 | |
57 | United States | Diversified Financials | 51.83 | 4.98 | 1,020.93 | 55.34 | |
58 | Japan | Telecommunications Services | 91.41 | 4.24 | 152.65 | 73.26 | |
59 | Japan | Banking | 29.03 | 5.53 | 1,269.60 | 81.31 | |
60 | United States | Drugs & Biotechnology | 53.32 | 11.05 | 70.56 | 182.12 | |
60 | Germany | Conglomerates | 110.82 | 3.85 | 109.12 | 93.93 | |
62 | United States | Insurance | 48.40 | 6.29 | 527.72 | 48.02 | |
63 | South Korea | Semiconductors | 79.50 | 7.53 | 72.90 | 88.69 | |
64 | United Kingdom | Insurance | 87.42 | 4.33 | 555.18 | 41.14 | |
65 | Japan | Banking | 31.02 | 5.85 | 901.71 | 73.38 | |
66 | United States | Software & Services | 46.06 | 11.91 | 66.37 | 275.85 | |
67 | France | Telecommunications Services | 64.86 | 5.19 | 125.01 | 70.62 | |
67 | United States | Media | 44.22 | 6.53 | 131.67 | 77.99 | |
69 | China | Banking | 23.18 | 5.84 | 568.21 | 126.55 | |
70 | Switzerland | Insurance | 66.75 | 4.65 | 351.19 | 41.32 | |
71 | China | Oil & Gas Operations | 99.03 | 5.07 | 65.83 | 93.57 | |
72 | Netherlands | Materials | 58.87 | 5.23 | 112.17 | 70.46 | |
73 | Japan | Consumer Durables | 84.32 | 5.08 | 89.64 | 68.03 | |
74 | France | Drugs & Biotechnology | 37.43 | 5.28 | 102.59 | 115.24 | |
75 | Belgium | Banking | 95.78 | 3.56 | 745.42 | 33.80 | |
76 | Germany | Utilities | 56.56 | 5.08 | 118.52 | 57.28 | |
77 | Canada | Banking | 32.13 | 4.21 | 477.43 | 58.83 | |
78 | Italy | Insurance | 90.90 | 2.27 | 398.13 | 54.50 | |
79 | United States | Retailing | 90.84 | 5.76 | 52.26 | 80.80 | |
80 | Switzerland | Drugs & Biotechnology | 37.01 | 7.37 | 64.16 | 130.47 | |
81 | Japan | Consumer Durables | 80.23 | 4.41 | 96.32 | 47.68 | |
82 | China | Banking | 23.10 | 3.41 | 585.55 | 143.80 | |
83 | United States | Diversified Financials | 46.71 | 3.96 | 503.55 | 39.53 | |
84 | Belgium | Banking | 34.22 | 4.53 | 428.49 | 42.35 | |
85 | United Kingdom | Drugs & Biotechnology | 45.45 | 10.55 | 45.85 | 161.20 | |
85 | Switzerland | Drugs & Biotechnology | 34.46 | 6.46 | 59.41 | 153.55 | |
87 | Italy | Banking | 21.50 | 2.92 | 922.79 | 96.24 | |
88 | United States | Insurance | 32.49 | 3.43 | 446.90 | 43.59 | |
89 | Hong Kong/China | Telecommunications Services | 29.79 | 6.56 | 51.35 | 185.31 | |
90 | Australia | Banking | 28.20 | 3.28 | 360.56 | 51.79 | |
91 | Canada | Insurance | 28.91 | 3.41 | 328.76 | 51.74 | |
92 | Germany | Insurance | 55.96 | 3.16 | 243.03 | 36.27 | |
92 | Norway | Oil & Gas Operations | 67.86 | 6.51 | 50.55 | 54.59 | |
94 | Germany | Transportation | 79.87 | 2.53 | 202.39 | 38.20 | |
95 | Italy | Telecommunications Services | 35.28 | 3.80 | 110.19 | 58.64 | |
96 | Netherlands/United Kingdom | Food Drink & Tobacco | 49.71 | 6.29 | 47.16 | 79.32 | |
97 | Australia/United Kingdom | Materials | 31.85 | 10.35 | 46.83 | 122.29 | |
98 | Netherlands | Insurance | 47.16 | 3.50 | 414.61 | 31.46 | |
99 | United States | Insurance | 35.80 | 4.99 | 157.55 | 37.19 | |
100 | Germany | Chemicals | 69.41 | 4.24 | 58.93 | 50.91 | |
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For the Top Billionaires: http://www.forbes.com/lists/2008/10/billionaires08_The-Worlds-Billionaires_Rank.html
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I'm thinking: Let us be thankful for the ingenuity of the virus and hope that the coming pandemic will wipe so many of us off the planet that the earth can start anew. :)
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