Something special happens on the Mediterranean coast in August and the world seems to fade into the background as the sun and the sand at the beach call for attention. At the same time, however, the world continues to spin and events unfold at their own pace.
Geopolitics as Usual
- It appears that Israeli and Hamas will eventually work out some kind of cease fire in Gaza and that with the help of some well timed American airstrikes the Kurdish military has been able to stop the advance of the ISIL in Iraq.
- Recep Erdogan wins the presidential contest in Turkey re-affirming his potential to bring Turkey back as the region’s dominant power
- In Africa, the Ebola outbreak continues to take its deadly toll but the good news is that western aid, supplies and specialists appear to be trickling in and there are appear to be experimental treatments that offer some hope.
- In Ukraine, the government finally appears to be regaining momentum in its conflict with the Donetsk People’s Republic and while Russia and the West are still arguing over who shot down MH 17 and Russia is again massing troops on the border, it has not yet annexed the Eastern portion of the country.
The planet still lives
- The Arctic ice pack is entering the last few months of its melting season and the scientist who are watching appear to be saying that the rate has slowed a bit compared to last year but is still thinning in historical terms.
- Drilling has not yet been approved for the Canary islands and Ibiza although it seems that unapproved seismic activity has been done potentially affecting local fauna.
- Carbon credits in the EU appear to have gotten back to the €6/ton mark but are still far below the €20-30/ton needed to change the energy mix.
What to do?
For those of us who enjoy the luxury of having extended vacation time in the summer, the question becomes how to spend it? Of course the first block of time goes to friends and family and then there are a host of activities to choose from such as sailing, diving, swimming, etc. which are all hard to do in our day to day lives.
The question is can we stop following the stories that we follow so closely during the normal part of the year? Will they still be there when we resurface in a few weeks?
The local paper today had only 20 pages in it and one wonders why they bothered to print any news at all.
Maybe its a good time to put down the smart phone and the tablet and pick up a book. Yes a real old fashioned book that you can take to the beach, drop in the sand, and even get lost in for a few hours or days.
The world will still be here when you get back.