Notations On Our World (#NewYearDay2018 Special Edition): On #Iran; #ClimateChange & Other Thoughts.....

A Student Escaping Tear Gas at Tehran University During Demonstrations 

As we launch our new year here at the Daily Outsider, one of the profound developments we've been assessing is the protests in Iran.    One of the most perceptive analysis has been by Professor Sadri of Lake Forest College that is available by clicking here.    The Iranian President made a number of statements over the past 24 hours that underscored how he and other key members of the System understood the extent of the discontent while Khameini, the ultimate power stays silent.    Our team listened to Rouhani's Statement at his meeting with the Majlis (Parliament) Chairs over the budget as he underscored the profound budgetary challenges the Country faces.  As he spoke about the problems with the retirement fund and conflicting priorities, our team could not help but reflect upon the budgetary challenges faced in the United States as 2018 looms.  This is as President Trump has been on a Twitterstorm in response to the protests.

As President Rouhani touted his Government's accomplishments and called for unity, One of the more striking statements he made was about rainfall in Iran.  He stated that there has been a 55% decrease in Rain over the past 10 years.    Iran has had to again deal with profound air quality issues that is supposedly being mitigated as we went to press with rainfall.     What is happening in Iran is emblematic of the on-going challenges we faced in the World as underscored this reporting done by the Washington Examiner based on a Study reported by Nature in Climate available here.     This is as a recent report by Al Jazeera documented the shrinking of Cuba's Island due to Sea Rises.

Our team decided to note this powerful image of a Desert reported by the Washington Examiner to underscore what Dr. King noted as the Fierce Urgency of Now.   We commend the  Washington Examiner for reporting on this as we also commend the Examiner on an Earlier reporting it did on the situation in Puerto Rico: 

Earth becoming a desert without climate deal, scientists warn Climate researchers are warning that a large chunk of the globe could become a desert if the goals of the Paris climate change accord are not met. The findings published Monday in the journal Nature Climate Change show that more than 25 percent of the world's population will live in a perpetual state of drought and growing desertification if the Earth's temperature rises by 2 degrees Celsius by 2050. Read the full story here. A Truly challenging year before Us....