Seemorerocks: Headlines

Dutch oilfield services firm SBM Offshore announced Thursday that it will cut 1,200 positions out of the 10,500 people it employs worldwide by the end of 2015 as it seeks to reduce costs in a tough market environment.

WTI Crude Crashes Into The $50s

EIA Oil Production Numbers Show Global Slowdown

Hopes Dim for Renewable Power From Ocean Waves and Tides

It turns out that making electricity from the ocean is tougher and more expensive than people thought. Offshore generators—which include submersible turbines powered by tides and buoy-like devices that bob on the surface to capture the kinetic energy of waves—have to withstand “an incredibly harsh environment” of salt water, storms, and powerful currents... Specially designed ships are needed to install and maintain the equipment. All this drives up costs to as much as four times the cost of generating electricity from coal.

Hundreds of brick kilns stop operation for want of coal (Bangladesh)

Russia's Rosneft secures oil and gas deals with India

South Africa to sign fuel deals to tackle power crisis

Energy Sector Woes Continue to Weigh on Market as Risks of Default Increase

World on drip of unconventional oil

## Infrastructure scavenging ##

Thieves steal half of an aircraft hangar

Metal thieves leave valley business in the dark for 3 days

Thousands without power as thieves strike again

## Got food? ##

Rocketing food prices mean we eat less – but still pay 20pc more (UK)

Food prices on the rise (Canada)

Food Prices In Russia Rise Considerably

Cockroach Pieces in Instant Noodles (Japan)

Organic farming more drought resistant: Report

7 Things You Should Know About Permaculture

## Environment/health ##

Awash in Plastic: Oceans May Hold 250,000 Tons of Trash

Drug-resistant infections to lead to 10 million extra deaths a year – report

NASA study: Vegetation decline seen in wake of drying Amazon

Mexico City sinking as aquifer exhausted

Ebola vaccine trial suspended for checks after joint pains

U.S., Japan named least cooperative on global warming reduction

Pregnant women should avoid these household products

## Intelligence/propaganda/security/internet/cyberwar ##

C.I.A. Director Brennan, a Proven Liar, Defends Torture; Brennan Should be Fired Immediately, then Prosecuted along with Other CIA Directors and Cheney

Congress Just Passed Legislation Ramping Up Mass Surveillance to Super-Steroid Levels

Spanish news to vanish from Google News globally

In a decision that will reverberate around the globe, Google announced Thursday it will close Google News in Spain and block reports from Spanish publishers from more than 70 Google News international editions due to a new Spanish law requiring aggregators to pay to link content.

Police can search cellphones without warrant during arrest: court (Canada)

America’s Illusion of Free Will

The mainstream U.S. news media’s narrow parameters, especially on foreign policy issues, give the American people little opportunity to engage in meaningful debate or to influence outcomes. Typically, public perceptions are managed and consensus is manufactured.

## Systemic breakdown/collapse/unsustainability ##

Dark Age America: The Sharp Edge of the Shell

The Oil Crash is Under Way

Japan automakers add 550,000 cars to Takata air bag recalls

This is how fast you should reply to work emails

## Japan ##

Japan bears bet on Abe victory followed by yen disaster

Increased controls, competition spell trouble for Japan producers

Anti-dumping measures, bolstered quality controls and the advances of Chinese manufacturers are creating a tough climate for Japanese steelmakers.

Nissin Frozen Foods to recall 750,000 frozen pasta packs

Nissin Frozen Foods Co. said Wednesday it will recall about 750,000 packs of frozen pasta products after some were found to contain parts of insects believed to be cockroaches.

Methane hydrate deposits possibly exist off Hokkaido

Pinning hopes on such junk energy shows how desperate the situation is. -- RF

With an eye on China, defense spending set to rise for 3rd year in row

## China ##

Beijing may have set up South China Sea ADIZ in secret: Kanwa

Muslim veils outlawed in Urumqi, China

China orders banks to ramp up lending to curb flagging growth

## UK ##

Food prices 12% higher on average in real terms than in 2007

Government report shows food prices rising, while consumers trade down to cheaper brands to save money

Britons are living beyond their means, says OBR

## US ##

Minnesota is one polar vortex away from energy crisis

With a warm-up predicted for coming days, bitter cold may be a memory, but experts say propane and wood for heating and coal for generating electricity could be in short supply if this winter begins to look like last winter.

The Rent is Too Damn High – Zillow Report Shows Rents Unaffordable in All Top 35 Metro Areas

14 Facts That Prove That The Number Of Children Living In Poverty This Christmas Is At A Record High

After 11 Quarters In A Row, US Households See Net Worth Tumble $141 Billion In Q3

U.S. importing more Venezuelan oil

Investors bet on RadioShack default as loss grows

The Economy Is Worse than During the Great Depression

Fed Bubble Bursts in $550 Billion of Energy Debt: Credit Markets

"The City Is On The Verge Of Collapse" - East Cleveland Is Begging To File For Bankruptcy

Justice Dept Spurns Calls to Prosecute CIA Torturers

Consumer agency: Medical debt a surprise scourge for 43 million in US