(2019-01-09). These Countries Are Taking Climate Change Seriously. truthdig.com There are countries that are in earnest about the way humans are overheating the planet, the climate change resisters; and there are others that give what is one of the most fundamental problems facing the world only scant attention. | Annually over the past 14 years a group of 350 energy and climate experts from around the globe has drawn up a table reflecting the performance of more than 70 countries in tackling climate change. | Together this group of nations is responsible for more than 90% of total climate-changing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). | In the just published index looking at developments in 2018,…
(2019-01-09). Thailand: Amnesty Welcomes Saudi Woman's Refugee Protection. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2019-01-09). Why are We Still Logging Our Forests? counterpunch.org Anyone who accepts true science realizes that today's big forest fires are driven far more by climate warming than by a lack of "active forest management" as claimed in previous editorial opinions. Active forest management, more honestly called "logging," has always been the timber industry's cure-all for every perceived problem in our forests. Until science More
(2019-01-09). There's a Toxic Weedkiller on the Menu in K-12 Schools Across the U.S. commondreams.org Glyphosate contamination was detected in 70 percent of products tested by the Center for Environmental Health, including big name brands like Quaker and Cheerios. (Photo credit: DavidF/iStock) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/screen_shot_2019-01-09_at_1.06.36_pm.png…
(2019-01-09). Earthjustice Statement on Nomination of Andrew Wheeler to Head Environmental Protection Agency. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2019-01-09). First-Ever Indigenous Peoples March Will Fight Against Injustices Faced Across the Globe. commondreams.org Raising alarm about human rights violations and the global climate crisis, activists from around the world are traveling to Washington, D.C. for the first annual Indigenous Peoples March, which will kick off at 8am local time on Jan. 18 outside the U.S. Department of the Interior's main building. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/option2.jpg…
(2019-01-09). Trump Nomination of Wheeler Ensures EPA Will Continue to Put 'Profits of Polluters' Over Human Health and Planet. commondreams.org In the six months since he stepped in to oversee the Environmental Protection Agency following Scott Pruitt's resignation last summer, Andrew Wheeler has gutted fuel efficiency standards and rolled back carbon emissions rules for coal plants—and President Donald Trump made his approval known Wednesday as he nominated Wheeler to officially head the agency. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/andrew_wheeler_0.jpg…
(2019-01-09). 'It's a Crisis Alright': Report Details Serious Public Health and Safety Risks of Trump Shutdown. commondreams.org In addition to pushing thousands of low-wage workers to the brink of financial collapse and imperiling life-saving public programs like food stamps and Medicare, a Public Citizen report released on Wednesday found that the government shutdown over President Donald Trump's demand for border wall funding is also placing crucial consumer, health, and safety protections at serious risk. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/shutdown.png…
(2019-01-09). Group submits petitions with 1 million signatures urging Brown to phase out fossil fuels. indybay.org In spite of receiving 1,000,000 signed petitions on November 1 and being confronted with 30,000 people marching in a climate protest in San Francisco in September, Governor Jerry Brown did not change any of his positions on fossil fuel extraction, carbon trading, the Delta Tunnels and other questionable environmental policies.
(2019-01-09). East Bay Electrification Expo: Fight Climate Change in a Clean Energy Home! indybay.org Ed Roberts Campus | 3075 Adeline St, Berkeley, California 94703…
(2019-01-09). 2019 Will Be a Big Year for Water. truthout.org In the last few weeks of 2018, the Trump administration set the stage for a big battle over water in the new year. At stake is an important rule that defines which waters are protected under the Clean Water Act. The Trump administration seeks to roll back important protections for wetlands and waterways, which are important to drinking water and wildlife. | This is just one of the upcoming water battles that could serve to define 2019. It's also poised to be a year of reckoning on the Colorado River, which supplies water to 40 million people and 5.5 million acres of farmland. A long-anticipated multistate agre…
(2019-01-09). Workers Ran Their Own Strike and Beat Marriott. truthout.org The most successful social movements are highly organized, not spontaneous upsurges. | An inside look at the recent victory of hotel workers in San Francisco shows that a very democratic process, controlled by the workers themselves, was combined with multicity coordination to win substantial wage increases, workload reductions and job protections. | In the reflections below, which were drawn from an exclusive interview with UNITE HERE Local 2 President Anand Singh and UNITE HERE Local 2 organizer and Marriott campaign coordinator Kevin O'Connor, two organizers offer an inside account of the campaign that lays…
(2019-01-09). Legislators Reintroduce Bill to Save People from Losing Homes Over Water Bills. therealnews.com 
Senator Mary Washington and Delegate Nick Mosby reintroduced the Water Taxpayer Protection Act to protect Baltimoreans from losing their homes and churches over high and inaccurate water bills
(2019-01-09). Donald Trump Is the Damn Emergency. truthout.org Donald Trump still has vast power at his immediate disposal. He can hire the worst people to fill vital posts. He can sign Executive Orders that allow the dumping of toxic chemicals into aquifers. He can continue to rip families apart at the southern border. He can ruin longstanding international relationships and cuddle up with despots and dictators. He can ignore the climate even as it comes crashing down around him. He can order an airstrike against any point on the map. He can peel the crust off the Earth with nuclear weapons if he so chooses. | That is an emergency. | Trump's Oval Office address last nigh…
(2019-01-08). Lockout ends at National Grid. fightbacknews.org Milford, MA – Members of the United Steelworkers (USW) union voted overwhelmingly, January 7, to ratify a new six-year agreement with National Grid, ending a nearly seven-month lockout imposed by the utility company last June. | The contract includes significant wage increases and preserves affordable benefits for about 1200 members of USW Local 12012 and USW Local 12003. The agreement also includes additional health and safety provisions and other protections for the natural gas workers and residents. | Union members, local and state officials, and residents from across the community stood behind the locked-out…
(2019-01-08). Art of the Monstrous: Burtynsky and the Anthropocene. counterpunch.org 
The National Art Gallery in Ottawa currently hosts a sensational exhibition called "Anthropocene." Edward Burtynsky and his associates Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas de Pencier have created a multi-media mind-boggling representation of the transformation of the earth by humans. Their work has the shock-effect similar to the famous 1969 photograph of the earth taken from outer More
(2019-01-08). For the First Time Since 9/11, There are a Few Hopeful Signs in the Preemptive Prosecutions of Muslims. counterpunch.org I have been studying the prosecution of Muslims in the "war on terror" since 2006, and the courts have been consistently and resoundingly unfair. Constitutional protections under the First Amendment; Fourth Amendment (illegal wiretapping); Fifth Amendment (tortured confessions); Sixth Amendment (secret evidencegiven to the judge but not the defense, anonymous witnesses), and Eighth Amendment (long More
(2019-01-07). Nathan Damigo, founder of white nationalist group Identity Evropa, files for bankruptcy protection. splcenter.org The founder of the white nationalist group Identity Evropa is seeking federal bankruptcy protection in what appears to be a pre-emptive move stemming from a lawsuit over "Unite the Right."
(2019-01-07). Sunrise Movement: Pelosi's Actions on Climate Fall Woefully & Inexcusably Short of What We Need. democracynow.org 
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is facing criticism from some climate activists for failing to back a Green New Deal. Last week Pelosi announced the formation of a new Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, headed by long-standing Florida Congressmember Kathy Castor. But the committee is far weaker than what backers of a Green New Deal had envisioned. The committee will not have subpoena power or the power to draft legislation. We speak with Varshini Prakash, founder of the Sunrise Movement, a youth-led climate group that has occupied and lobbied at congressional offices, risking arrest to demand adoption of the Gree…
(2019-01-07). US Policy Is Causing the Next Mass Extinction. thenation.com US Policy Is Causing the Next Mass Extinction…
(2019-01-07). Make 2019 the year of action on climate change. greenleft.org.au 
Australia is sweltering through another summer heatwave, with disastrous consequences for many vulnerable people. Walgett, in north-west NSW, ran out of water and catastrophic fires are threatening communities in Victoria and Tasmania. | As we make a plan for a new year of activism, we can take some heart from the growing student movement for real climate action. They are responding to the science and showing an awareness of the scale of the pending climate catastrophe. They know what needs to be done and are demonstrating that leadership comes from those who act. | Students 4 Climate Action have already agreed t…
(2019-01-05). 3135. Opportunities and challenges posed by the Gilets Jaunes (Yellow Vests) protests and the Sunrise movement. mronline.org 
In this essay, I will argue that the leadership of the climate justice movement and the movement for radical social change, which in my opinion is essential for tackling the eco-social world crisis, have fallen short to meet the opportunities and challenges that the Gilets Jaunes (Yellow Vests) protests in France (Greeman, December 3, 2018; […] | Source
(2019-01-04). Headlines for January 4, 2019. democracynow.org 116th Congress Sworn In as Nancy Pelosi Elected House Speaker, House Democrats Adopt PAYGO Austerity Spending Rule, House Democrats Approve New Ethics Rules, Form Climate Committee, Trump Repeats Border Wall Demands as Gov't Shutdown Enters 14th Day, Trump Admin Wants to Send More Troops to U.S.-Mexico Border, Brazil: President's Assault on Indigenous Rights Threatens Amazon, Mexico: Mayor Assassinated Hours After Taking Office, Trump Administration Threatens Iran over Its Space Program, Former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke Faces Criminal Inquiry, Google Uses "Double Irish Dutch Sandwich" Scheme to Avoid Taxes, P…
(2019-01-03). If You Pave It, They Will Come – As climate teeters, Washington Post pushes for more highway. fair.org 
As world leaders gathered in Poland for the UN climate conference, the Washington Post threw its support behind a $9 billion plan to add over 100 miles of toll lanes to Maryland highways in the traffic-choked DC region. The Post offered its hearty initial support, despite the fact that studies show adding more lanes …
(2019-01-03). Headlines for January 3, 2019. democracynow.org Democrats Take Back House with Historic Firsts, Dems to Vote on Contested PAYGO Rule, Which Restricts Gov't Spending, Dems to Vote on Plan That Funds Gov't Without Border Wall Funding, Shutdown Takes Toll on on Native American Communities, Trump Takes Aim at Mattis, Praises Kim Jong-un in Cabinet Meeting, Trump Takes Takes Credit for Markets, China Trade Relations, India: 2 Women Enter Hindu Temple After Centuries of Denied Access for Women, Mali: Gunmen Kill 37 Civilians Amid Mounting Ethnic Tensions, Russia: U.S. Citizen Detained on Espionage Charges, Chinese Probe Lands on Far Side of Moon in Historic First, N…
(2019-01-02). As the 115th Congress Ends, Here Are the Important Civil Rights Battles We've Won. aclu.org During the last two years of Trump, ACLU activists have won fights ranging from advancing criminal justice reforms to stopping border wall funding. | The past two years have been challenging times, as we have witnessed attacks on our shared values and civil rights from the Trump White House and a Republican-dominated Congress. It can sometimes feel difficult to make change happen, but even in this hostile climate, ACLU activists helped drive key legislative victories to advance civil liberties during the 115th Congress, which ends on Thursday. As the new Congress is sworn in on Thursday, these victories should re…
(2018-12-24). A "Massive Outlaw" zcomm.org Interview on Single Payer, Climate Devastation, Impeachment…
(2018-12-20). ANC Deputy Julio Escalona: 'The People are Angry Because They Consider that We Aren't Doing Our Job'. venezuelanalysis.com The revolutionary's criticisms came during the passing of 2019's budget, 75% of which is destined for "social protection."
(2018-12-10). Climate movement attracts new generation of activists. greenleft.org.au 
The latter part of 2018 will be remembered for the re-emergence of climate action on the national agenda. | Independent Kerryn Phelps' win in the Wentworth byelection promising "meaningful environmental action" and Labor's subsequent adoption of a 50% renewable energy policy by 2030 has come in the midst of researcher Rebecca Huntley's findings that "climate and environmental concerns" have increasingly become "a test of leadership" for voters. | These centrist platforms, however, have been rightly superseded by the newest base of the climate movement: high school students. | Tired of the "dinosaurs in parliament…
(2018-12-08). Reviving the Nuclear Disarmament Movement: A Practical Proposal. zcomm.org In late November 2018, Noam Chomsky, the world-renowned public intellectual, remarked that "humanity faces two imminent existential threats: environmental catastrophe and nuclear war." Curiously, although a widespread environmental movement has developed to save the planet from accelerating climate change, no counterpart has emerged to take on the rising danger of nuclear disaster. Indeed, this danger‚Äïexemplified Read more…
(2018-12-06). The fightback against Adani and Aurizon steps up. greenleft.org.au 
Adani CEO Lucas Dow's November 29 declaration that work on a scaled-down coalmine in Queensland's Galilee Basin would begin before Christmas was met with one of the most powerful nationwide protests against it so far as primary and high school students walking out of class the next day for the Student Strike 4 Climate Action. | A reported 20,000 students, many of them with their parents and grandparents in tow, took to the streets with a powerful message to Adani and policymakers: ignore us at your peril. | This was followed by a sit-in at Parliament House in Canberra on December 5. | Another round of #StopA…
(2018-12-04). Sorry To Bother You offers rich lessons in seeking radical social change. greenleft.org.au 
Sorry to Bother You
| Written & directed by Boots Riley
| In cinemas now | This review includes mild spoilers. | As an Australian living abroad, incidents of Australians being racist and/or misogynistisic that attract attention from international media outlets are frequently forwarded to me in anticipation of a seething refrain. | My response is typically motivated by a mix of rage and embarrassment, as well as a deep concern for how racial capitalism has been almost completely normalised. I am deeply concerned by the fact that not only is our social and political climate ill-equipped to address racism, i…
(2018-12-03). NSW law will 'lead to a new stolen generation'. greenleft.org.au 
Another stolen generation appears certain to be created in NSW, after the Coalition government passed a new adoption law making it easier for a child to be adopted by a foster family without parental consent. | The new adoption law, Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Amendment Bill, passed on November 22 despite fierce opposition, imposes a two-year limit on fostering a child. The Children's Court now has the power to decide whether a birth parent should be rei…
(2018-10-18). Nuclear Power & Climate. zcomm.org The great environmental challenge of our time is to understand that the many sources of biodestruction are interconnected and must be confronted simultaneously, rather than disparaging one danger to focus on another…