This poem is inspired by recent research, which has found that democratic countries often appear greener because they offshore pollution to less democratic nations. 

Proxy Measures

THE KING OF PERSIA’S PLEASURE

In 484 BCE, preparing to invade Greece, the Persian king Xerxes I built two floating pontoon bridges across the Hellespont. This met with disaster when a storm destroyed the flax and papyrus cables of the bridges. In his fury, Xerxes ordered the Hellespont to be whipped three hundred times, and had fetters thrown into its waters.
_ _ _

Xerxes, you would be so proud of us!

We've taken your idea and run with it.


More in complacency than anger, we confess,

but it's the end result that counts.


A chain of fetters, in the Hellespont?

Mere impotent display, you must have known.


For who – even a King – could cast a seaway into bondage,

place manacles upon Poseidon's realm?


Iron in salt-water goes to barnacle;

to coral reef; to rust.


Whereas Nylon, Polyethylene, Acrylic, PVC...

with these, one can entrammel whole oceans. And we have.


Do we please you, mighty Xerxes?  Are you satisfied? 

Is this revenge enough?

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

© Ken Cumberlidge 22-01-2023
First published in “Rat’s Ass Review”, Fall 2023

The King of Persia's Pleasure

In this week’s episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Robert D. Metcalfe, a professor at Columbia University. Metcalfe recently coauthored a study of the levels of invisible particulate matter released in the air during everyday household activities like cooking and cleaning, exposure to which has been linked to health problems. He shares key findings on trends in indoor air quality, how people change their behavior when made aware of pollution levels in their homes, and the potential benefits and trade-offs of government subsidies for indoor air quality monitoring technologies. Metcalfe also highlights what areas of future research could inform this field and guide more effective interventions for public health and policy.

References and recommendations:

“Making the Invisible Visible: The Impact of Revealing Indoor Air Pollution on Behavior and Welfare” by Robert D. Metcalfe and Sefi Roth; https://www.nber.org/papers/w33510

Seeing the Invisible: Responses to Indoor Air Pollution, with Robert D. Metcalfe

Nigeria's Climate Justice Movement confronts oil polluters over decades of Niger Delta pollution, demanding environmental justice, reparations, and a fossil-free future through legal and grassroots action.

Nigerians Demand Justice for Oil Pollution Horror

Japanese scientists have developed a revolutionary plastic that fully dissolves in seawater — in just a few hours

What’s Right: Japan’s Ocean-Safe Plastic Breakthrough

Welcome to the official debut of JAY'S JUNK, where Jay picks out the movie you've probably never heard of to review! Sure, he's done this before (and so has Sean), but now some are officially his!

This first selection is a movie called THE FIX. It's a tale about our future in which the air is unbreathable and rich corporations sell us the solution... until some drug dealing thieves get involved. It's weird; it's convoluted; but is it good? JAY'S JUNK will get to the bottom of it!

JAY'S JUNK: The Fix (2024) Review

In this week’s episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with McKenna Peplinski, a senior research associate at Resources for the Future, about delays in building up the infrastructure that delivers electricity to the United States. Many electric power projects, such as bids for new generators and transmission lines, are waiting in long queues to connect to the grid. In a recent study she coauthored, Peplinski examines the consequences of these delays in building out power infrastructure by comparing two scenarios that the research team modeled: one in which projects move forward on schedule, and another in which projects get stalled. She shares the research findings, which reveal that these delays have negative consequences for energy costs, emissions from power plants, public health, and the feasibility of adding renewable energy sources to the grid.

References and recommendations:

“Power Delayed: Economic Effects of Electricity Transmission and Generation Development Delays” by Daniel Shawhan, McKenna Peplinski, Sally Robson, Ethan Russell, Ethan Ziegler, and Karen Palmer; https://www.rff.org/publications/working-papers/power-delayed-economic-effects-of-electricity-transmission-and-generation-development-delays/

“Clean Power Delayed: Effects of Infrastructure Delays on Health, Environment, and US Households” by Daniel Shawhan, McKenna Peplinski, Sally Robson, Ethan Russell, Ethan Ziegler, and Karen Palmer; https://www.rff.org/publications/working-papers/clean-power-delayed-effects-of-infrastructure-delays-on-health-environment-and-us-households/

“Decarbonize Your Life” from Heatmap News; https://heatmap.news/decarbonize-your-life

Power Delayed: The Hidden Costs of Postponing Power Projects, with McKenna Peplinski

Poèmes lus par les enfants de CE2 au retour d'un nettoyage de plage

Au retour de la plage poésies d'enfants

MP for Taunton and Wellington Gideon lives in central Taunton and swims most Saturdays after Park Run, so he is passionate about the River Tone. He helped to run the successful campaign to gain bathing water status for the river in French Weir Park. 

Gideon and Fiona discuss the Lib Dem calls for Ofwat to be abolished, plus a gamut of water-quality issues including sewage, planning, farming, dogs, retrofitting, ecocide and raft racing.

TONAL: Rivers Beyond Sewage - Pollution and wild swimming with MP Gideon Amos

A generous and wide ranging conversation about water, mostly dirty water, with Director of Water for the Environment Agency Helen Wakeham. 

Tackling in detail and giving historical context to the (all too literal) topic of shit in the river, as well as road runoff, farm runoff, PFAs chemicals and plastics. Including practical tips and future ambitions, this is a realistic and well informed deep dive into river pollution, asking what do we want for water, and how much are we willing to change to get it?

Helen lives on a boat in Bristol, enjoys several different river craft, wild swims, and has made a thirty year career in water. Water is her obsession. She is delighted that water is finally getting the attention in deserves, but life at the EA is not comfortable. 







TONAL: Rivers Beyond Sewage - Dirty Water with Helen Wakeham

On the night of 2-3 December 1984, a Union Carbide chemical facility at Bhopal leaked over 27 tons of the highly toxic gas methyl isocyanate, poisoning tens of thousands of people in the middle of the night, most of whom were sleeping in their homes nearby. 

Written by Madhumita Dutta. Narration by Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. Video production by Hannah Keller, Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle, and Laura Seeger. A textual version of this video is available at https://origins.osu.edu/read/bhopal-chemical-gas-disaster. 

This is a production of Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective at the Goldberg Center in the Department of History at The Ohio State University and the Department of History at Miami University. Be sure to subscribe to our channel to receive updates about our videos and podcasts. For more information about Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective, please visit origins.osu.edu.

Learn More:
“40 Years of Confronting Corporate Crime: Commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the Bhopal Gas Disaster,” https://www.bhopal.net/40th/ 

“Remembering Bhopal: The World's Worst Industrial Disaster,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Aa2DMsXzEM 

“The Bhopal Medical Appeal,” https://www.bhopal.org/continuing-disaster/the-bhopal-gas-disaster/union-carbides-disaster/basic-facts-figures-numbers-of-dead-and-injured-bhopal-disaster/

“Bhopal gas leak: Battling water woes in land of tragedy,”

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/39-years-after-the-bhopal-gas-tragedy-water-contamination-worries-survivors/article67598837.ece

Bhopal Plant Disaster. Appendix A: Chronology
  
1969-1979: Union Carbide Enters Bhopal

 https://www.bhopal.net/what-happened/setting-the-stage-for-tragedy-1969-1984/1969-1979-union-carbide-enters-bhopal/


The Bhopal Chemical Gas Disaster

State legislatures are seeing a wave of industry-backed bills that would ban or restrict the public’s ability to test for air pollution in local communities. Last year, the Louisiana legislature effectively banned community groups from using their own air monitoring to warn residents about pollution or publicly advocate for cleanups. Violators can face penalties of up to $32,500 per day, plus $1 million for intentional violations. Earlier this year, Kentucky passed legislation that attempts to restrict what evidence state and local environmental regulators can use when enforcing pollution regulations. Morgan King, climate and energy program manager with the West Virginia Citizen Action Group, joins us to discuss her work building up an air monitoring network around West Virginia, where industry-backed legislation to restrict monitoring has failed twice over the last two years.

The Attack on Community Air Monitoring in State Legislatures

The $4 trillion Republican spending bill, signed by President Trump on July Fourth, is packed with giveaways to the oil and gas industry. These include tax breaks, opening more public lands and offshore acres to drilling, and a lowering of royalty rates that oil and gas companies must pay for extracting fuel from government lands. Trump’s so-called “big, beautiful” bill is also full of ugly ironies, including this one: While Trump campaigned on lowering energy prices for consumers, his spending bill is expected to raise average household energy costs by about $280 per year, in part because it slashes support for wind and solar, which are some of the cheapest forms of energy.  To break down all the handouts to the fossil fuel industry, we interview Josh Axelrod, senior program advocate at NRDC. (Photo by iStock)

Breaking Down the Fossil Fuel Handouts in Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill”

The question what type of technology has helped animals with underwater pollution has driven researchers and innovators to develop solutions.

Up Trend Talks

Jane and Mike have met up with Mark Sewell from 'United Utilities', the company that supplies water to  their home, and every other building in North West England. 'UU', as it is known, has big plans for the area and is working with a budget of millions to improve water quality and dispose of the pesky waste water and sewage outflows. Hear how the suppliers are getting on, a story told on the banks of the river, down by the converted 'Soapworks' office building (which itself is due for expansion and development).

Mark Sewell and river podcast Aug25

Short freestyle session, featuring tracks from the Dance Pollution label only ! 💪


TRACKLIST :
1. Bruno Power - The Saint
2. Bruno Power & Dark Oscillators - The Box
3. Dark Oscillators - Nasty Jungle
4. Dark Oscillators - Nobody Is Perfect
5. Dark Oscillators - Nero
6. The Hose - My Little Stalker
7. The KGBs - Infinity
8. DJ Phil Ty - Liberation Day
9. DJ Phil TY - A Kay A
10. Star Creatorz - Killzone (Hunter Remix)
11. Timescape - Gozer (Technoboy Remix)
12. The Raiders - Disk Warrior
13. The KGBs - SUPERDISCO (Technoboy Remix)
14. DJ Phil Ty - Miami Belch


. Play with CDJ 3000 + DJM 750 MK2 💿

. If you like my work, like and share 🤝

. Visual generated by A.I. 🤖

Hardstyle Freestyle #2

Hardstyle Freestyle #2 (Only Dance Pollution Label)

Mike Scantlebury is a part of the band, radio show and song writing team known as 'The Jam'. No, Paul Weller he ain't. JAM stands for 'Jane and Mike' and you'll not just find them on Mixcloud but also Youtube and various websites and Blogs. It's modern songs, (in a folk idiom), radio shows in a 'Richard and Judy' idiot, and songs like 'Dit Dit Dit', (which, as we all know, stands for S.O.S. - good enough for The Titanic. Who knows, Salford might hit an iceberg, soon).

Europe's best independent music station based in Luxembourg! English speaking.

TONAL - Rivers Beyond Sewage explores water issues nationally with a special focus on the River Tone in Somerset. Through riverside conversations with people who have different and profound relationships with water Feral Practice leads us on a deep dive into the politics, law, art and science of rivers with curiosity and humor.


Artist Feral Practice lives in Somerset, UK. They work to explore and expand our relationship to other species and the living earth.

Here’s a little story about a trio of janitors. 
Might have heard they worked at a well-known film school.
They picked up a few things other than trash. 
They might hate your movie, or if drunk think it’s cool.
Every now and then they get together for a lunch break. 
Trash talk some movie, or TV, or streaming.
Rodney and Jason and Sean – they all clean halls. 
If you listen close you can hear kids screaming: Film School Janitors!

2024 Music "Aries Beats - Escape" is is under a Creative Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) license. 
2019 Music from YouTube Audio Library [Aka YAL]
2019 Music provided by RFM: https://youtu.be/8BkqPryqA5Q
2018 Music: https://www.instagram.com/jaelaredd/ 
NCU Theme Music from YouTube Audio Library [Aka YAL]
High School Hero · Silent Partner: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iguumobmY_4

At your local top-tier film-and-TV school, these three lurk the halls… sweeping… scrubbing…mopping…

What you drop, they pick up.  But that’s not all they’re picking up.

You see, after twenty years of cleaning up after film students, they’ve learned something – most movies are garbage.

So whenever their lunch breaks align, they catch up on the latest Hollywood has to offer.

In between taking out the trash, they’re talking trash.

Rodney – Sean – Jason… They are The Film School Janitors

KEN CUMBERLIDGE: POETRY
To see the full text and publication details of any poem, click on its track title.

"Honest, unflinching, emotionally intelligent and stunningly crafted." - Cathy Carson

Multiple slam-winner, finalist at Hammer & Tongue Cambridge 2018 and 2019, Ken Cumberlidge cut his performance teeth on the pub poetry scene of the 1970s.

Since 2011 Ken has been based in Norwich, but can be lured out of cover by good company and an open mic - a proclivity that has led him to become an habitué of the slam poetry/spoken word scene.

Ken writes about love, sex, nature, loss, identity and queerness, with an occasional foray into the eerie and macabre.  Poke him with a sharp enough stick and he may even wake up long enough to get shouty about politics.

His work has appeared widely in print and online (Algebra of Owls / Allegro / As Above So Below / Bi All Accounts / Bogg / The Fiction Pool / Fire&Dust Anthology / Fragmented Voices / Impspired / Ink, Sweat & Tears / Ludd's Mill / Message in a Bottle / The Open Mouse / Picaroon / Pulsar / Pure Slush / Rat's Ass Review / Runcible Spoon / SMOKE / Snakeskin / Songs of Eretz / Spilling Cocoa… / Strange Poetry / Talking Soup / Timber Ghost Press ...etc).

Headline/featured poet at numerous events/venues, including:

Allographic Open Mic
Beth Hartley "A Holding" book launch
Cambridge PRIDE
FenSpeak
Fire&Dust, Coventry
Hammer & Tongue, Cambridge
High St Poetry, Ely
Incite! LGBTQIA+ Spoken Word Cabaret
Last Poet Standing, Norwich
Oooh Beehive
Poetry at Jurnet's
Poetry Non-Stop podcast
St Andrews Festival, Cambridge
Sunday Night Lives at the Flying Pig
Vron McIntyre "Random Trail" book launch

We discuss important environmental issues in the news and investigative reports by the nonprofit, nonpartisan Environmental Integrity Project.

Resources Radio is a weekly podcast by Resources for the Future. Each week we talk to leading experts about climate change, electricity, ecosystems, and more, making the latest research accessible to everyone.

Smart conversations about today’s most interesting topics - a history podcast for everyone, produced by Origins from Ohio State's Department of History

Hi! I'm an academic whose work is dedicated to making science more accessible to diverse audiences via the medium of poetry.

• HARDSTYLE - RAWSTYLE •


. And other styles to have fun!

. Booking: kickido.booking@gmail.com

. With CDJ 3000 & DJM 750 MK2
 or
. With Reloop 7000 MK2 & DJM 750 MK2

New tracks tagged #Pollution