(2019-07-09). Closer to Extinction: Spring Delta smelt surveys reveal record low numbers of fish. indybay.org "The outlook for the Delta smelt population remains grim after these lows. Despite good conditions in spring 2018 and 2019, the severely depressed number of adult spawners indicates a continuing weak potential for recovery," said independent fisheries biologist Tom Cannon in his California Fisheries Blog on the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA) website.
(2019-07-09). Kenya launches effort to save the mountain bongo. cgtn.com 
Kenya is launching a comprehensive strategy to restore the population of the endangered mountain bongo amid risk of extinction linked to poaching, habitat loss, diseases and attack by large predators. | Najib Balala, cabinet secretary for tourism and wildlife, said the national recovery and action plan for the mountain bongo will guide protection of an iconic species that inhabit Kenya's major water towers. | "The implementation of this plan will be a defining moment in the conservation of the mountain bongo subspecies that is only found in Kenya," said Balala. | "It will ensure that the population of mountain b…
(2019-07-09). When Nature's Feedback Loops Fail. counterpunch.org 
Civilization Critical: Energy, Food, Nature and the Future by Darrin Qualman (Fernwood Publishing. Halifax, Winnipeg 2019) The title of Darrin Qualman's book, Civilization Critical, can easily be mistaken for an apocalyptic climate change tract. Given the weekly deluge of this grim genre in our bookstores, it is understandable. Regrettably, I believe, publishers in an effort More
(2019-07-08). Do We Need a Dictatorship to Respond to Climate Change? counterpunch.org Globally, June 2019 was the hottest June on record. Though it is tricky to attribute any particular event to anthropogenic climate change, scientists estimate that the likelihood of the month's extreme heat was made five times more likely by human contributions. This heat is no anomaly. The top ten hottest years on record globally have all More
(2019-07-08). As Climate Alarm Bells Ring, Trump Cheers on Polluters. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2019-07-08). How USDA climate change denial threatens the South. nationofchange.org The U.S. Department of Agriculture has withheld from the public dozens of climate-change related studies conducted by the department's principal research agency, the Agricultural Research Service (ARS). | That's the finding of a recent Politico investigation, which documented "a persistent pattern in which the Trump administration refused to draw attention to findings that show the potential dangers and consequences of climate change." Though the ARS has reportedly completed at least 45 climate-related studies…
(2019-07-08). Ahead of Trump 'Utter Fantasy' Speech on Environmental Record, DC Flooding Sparks Warnings on Danger of Climate Inaction. commondreams.org "We don't have time for more lies. We must address the climate crisis now," says Sen. Bernie Sanders | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/dc-flooding-trump-utter-fantasy-speech.jpg …
(2019-07-08). British Museum to help return ancient artefacts looted from Iraq and Afghanistan. thecanary.co Ancient artefacts that have been looted from Iraq and Afghanistan after recent conflicts and illegally exported to the UK will be returned to their country of origin.The British Museum is working with the UK Border Force and other government law enforcement agencies to help to return the seized items, which were brought there for analysis, conservation and cataloguing.Hartwig Fischer, director of the British Museum, said: War, conflict, climate change, globalisation, poverty and migration all play a part in the threats to cultural heritage. | The museum adopts a systematic approach, working with many colleagues ac…
(2019-07-08). Climate Change Is Producing a Harrowing New Phenomenon. truthdig.com News slips in from here and there in the northern hemisphere of outlandish temperatures. Records have been set; thermometers seem to need recalibration. Relief comes from the drop of a few degrees and from rainfall. But this is momentary. People are aware that the weather is more and more erratic, the heat of the summer much more brutal. | It is true that Europe faced remarkable temperatures in June, but the month before South Asia was hit by a severe heat wave. This is not a freak situation. India's weather has been measured since the late 18th century. The records improved with the establishment of the Indian M…
(2019-07-08). Swiss Police Arrests Climate Protesters Outside Banks in Zurich. telesurenglish.net Environmental activists, seeking to pressure Swiss banks into halting the financing of fossil fuels, blocked entrances to Credit Suisse in Zurich and UBS in Basel Monday before police intervened and arrested some protesters. | RELATED: | Europeans Witness Climate Change, It's Only the Beginning: WWF | The action, initiated by groups calling for civil disobedience to draw attention to activities that accelerate climate change, halted streetcars and drew onlookers on Zurich's Parade…
(2019-07-08). AOC, Bernie Sanders to Introduce Resolution Calling 'Existential Threat' of the Climate Crisis an 'Emergency'. commondreams.org "We are facing a climate emergency that requires a massive and immediate federal mobilization." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/bernie_sanders_1.png …
(2019-07-07). Future Resource Wars. therealnews.com 
The fantasy of the USA becoming the first global empire in history quickly dissolved in the wake of the Iraq war. Pepe Escobar and Eddie Conway discuss the coming nexus of global competition and climate change…
(2019-07-07). As Activists Push Democratic Climate Debate, DNC Donors Profit from Oil, Gas. therealnews.com 
For Democrats, the presidential primaries will end in Milwaukee at its convention in July 2020. It will be heavily funded by fossil fuel investors, Wes Edens and Marc Lasry, who also own the Milwaukee Bucks.
(2019-07-06). Policing in the Anthropocene. mronline.org 
How will the police respond to environmental direct action groups like Extinction Rebellion as climate breakdown reaches critical mass? | Source
(2019-07-06). An hour with Noam Chomsky on fascism, nuclear weapons, climate change, Julian Assange & more. nationofchange.org "They're things like climate change, like global warming, like the Nuclear Posture Review, deregulation. These are real issues. But the Democrats aren't going after those."
(2019-07-06). On the Front Lines of Bolsonaro's War on the Amazon, Brazil's Forest Communities Fight Against Climate Catastrophe. theintercept.com 
Without action, the loss of another fifth of Brazil's rainforest will trigger a cascading system collapse called "dieback" and release a carbon bomb.
(2019-07-05). The PowerPoint That Got a Climate Scientist Disinvited From a Shell Conference. theintercept.com The first three slides of climate scientist Peter Kalmus's plenary speech to Shell's Powering Progress Together conference were intended to gauge audience reactions. First, he would have asked attendees if they are "concerned about climate breakdown." Then, to raise their hands if they are "EXTREMELY CONCERNED" about it. In the third slide, Kalmus would have asked panel-goers to raise their hands if they agreed with a simple statement: "Fossil fuel causes harm." | He never got the chance. Last Wednesday, the day before he was scheduled to appear, Kalmus was disinvited from what the oil giant billed as "an action-…
(2019-07-05). An Hour with Noam Chomsky on Fascism, Nuclear Weapons, Climate Change, Julian Assange & More. democracynow.org 
In April, hundreds of people packed into the Old South Church in Boston to hear the world-renowned dissident and linguist Noam Chomsky speak. In this hour-long special, we air an excerpt of Chomsky's speech and his on-stage interview with Amy Goodman.
(2019-07-05). Oral opening statement from Michael Mann testimony to U.S. House Oversight Committee hearing on climate change & natural disasters. mronline.org 
And I would also like to emphasize that we're using the term "natural disasters" but in many cases there is absolutely nothing natural about the disasters we are talking about. We're not saying they have been caused by climate change, we're saying that it has worsened them. That's what the research shows. | Source
(2019-07-04). City of Sydney joins 600 others declaring a climate emergency. greenleft.org.au 
On June 24, Lord Mayor Clover Moore called on the City of Sydney council to declare a climate emergency. The motion passed unanimously, and Sydney joined a snowballing list of councils globally that have made similar declarations. | But as the dust of the federal election settles and a sleepy giant begins to stir in the Galilee Basin, what will be the significance of Sydney council's words? | The language surrounding climate has changed over the last year or so. "Emergency", "crisis" and "breakdown" are now being used by activists, politicians and even the media. While it might seem like the "emergency" has came…
(2019-07-04). Dr. David Suzuki: Trudeau Government's Climate Emergency Declaration Is 'A Joke'. therealnews.com 
A leading Canadian environmentalist says Canada must leave the vast majority of the tar sands in the ground if it hopes to fight climate change…
(2019-07-03). Eco-Socialism Conference to be held in Albuquerque: For the Earth to Live, Capitalism Must End! liberationnews.org 
Climate change and ecological devastation must be reversed as a matter of survival.
(2019-07-03). With Caribbean island life under threat, UN chief pushes to face 'headwinds together'. un.org To counter global challenges that are a particular threat to vulnerable island nations like those in the Caribbean, it's vital to "face the headwinds together", especially in the face of the destruction being wrought by climate change, the UN chief told the annual Caribbean Community (CARICOM) conference in Saint Lucia on Wednesday.
(2019-07-03). Will Bernie Sanders Stick With a Carbon Tax In His Push For a Green New Deal? theintercept.com 
Sanders is a longtime proponent of taxing the country's worst polluters, but he's said very little about a carbon tax on the 2020 campaign trail.
(2019-07-02). G20 Members Dole Out Coal Subsidies Despite Climate Crisis Talk. therealnews.com 
A new report documents G20 member states giving $63.9 billion in subsidies per year to King Coal, while professing the urgency of the climate crisis. The study says this may "underestimate the actual amounts of support provided," due to lack of transparency in finance figures…
(2019-07-02). NBC News Whitewashes Colombia's Right-Wing President. fair.org 
Colombian President Iván Duque gave a talk on June 21 at the "Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity" on his book Orange Economy: An Infinite Opportunity. Duque wasn't alone—Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels, singer John Legend and former NBA star Dwyane Wade also made appearances at the French Riviera event. | Claire Atkinson, the senior media editor at NBC News ( 6/27/19), i…
(2019-07-01). G20, Democratic debates, a pause in the trade war. uwidata.com G20 The two-day G20 summit ended in Osaka, Japan. Leaders of major powers discussed security, climate, trade, etc. The summit was marked by the United States' disagreement with other countries on a number of issues. For example, on the Paris climate agreement, on the China trade-war issue (despite the fact that a small "reconciliation" between …
(2019-07-01). Monday's Daily Brief: US-DPRK relationship reset, 'Horrific' Kabul bombing, Anti-conscription plan in Syria, Climate change heat stress, Security Council in Iraq. un.org This Monday, we cover: Guterres welcomes possible US-DPRK diplomatic upgrade; Taliban attack hits schools; UN-Syria action plan on child soldiers; Climate change heat stress impacts economy; and first-ever Security Council visit to Iraq.
(2019-06-28). WA joins the climate rebellion. greenleft.org.au 
The day after the May 18 federal election, as people were reeling from the unexpected result and taking time to regroup, the initiators of Extinction Rebellion WA hosted a picnic at the Hilton Harvest Community Gardens near Fremantle. | One hundred and fifty people attended and, while there was some licking of post-election wounds, what dominated was a sense of hope and determination. | The sentiment expressed at the meeting was that neither of the major parties had really grasped the nettle on climate change, and that it would take a people's campaign to force the government to declare a climate emergency…
(2019-06-28). Headlines for June 28, 2019. democracynow.org Supreme Court Says Partisan Gerrymandering Can't Be Challenged in Federal Courts, Trump Threatens to Delay Census After Supreme Court Blocks Adding Citizenship Question, Kamala Harris Takes on Joe Biden over Working with Segregationists and His Opposition to Busing, Congressional Hispanic Caucus Decries New Border Bill as an Unacceptable Betrayal, U.S. Helps Block Progress at German Climate Summit as Europe Sizzles in Record Heat, With a Smile, Trump Tells Putin at G20 Not to Meddle in U.S. Elections, Trump's Chief of Diplomatic Protocol Resigns After Accused of Carrying Whip at Work, Brazilian Air Force Officer…
(2019-06-28). Join the climate rebellion. greenleft.org.au 
I first delved into climate change 12 years ago, when my boy was born and I had freak-out #1. What had I done bringing a child into the world only for him to inherit a dying planet? | I got depressed and scared, but I managed to find hope. | I learned about the Transition Town movement and sustainability. I helped establish a thriving community garden. I participated in Earth Hour and earnestly made my pledge for the climate. | I grew veggies. My family rarely flew. We installed solar panels. I rode my new, fabulous electric cargo bike like I was Ms Sustainability in a parade. | But while I was busy with all…
(2019-06-28). Walk to save south-west WA forests. greenleft.org.au 
Various ongoing threats, such as climate change and the timber industry, continue to plague the unique ecosystems of south-west Western Australia. Various species are coming under pressure and time may be running out for people to experience the serenity and cacophony of these forests in all their splendour. | To help raise awareness about this, a 1000-kilometre Walk For Forests is taking place this year. | Beginning on September 29 in Albany, in southern WA, and ending in Perth on December 13, the walk will pass through the forests of south-west WA, allowing participants to witness the current state of the natur…
(2019-06-21). The Growing Case Against Fracking. progressive.org The extraction of shale oil and natural gas, especially for export to other countries, is not worth the toll it's taking on communities and the climate, according to a new report.