2019-08-13: News Headlines

Staff (2019-08-13). Bayer/Monsanto Silencing Journalists, Activists, and Scientists. therealnews.com Investigative reporter Carey Gillam talks about Bayer/Monsanto's efforts to discredit her work and deflect criticism about cancer-causing glyphosate, a major ingredient in Roundup pesticide…

Peninsula Peace & Justice Center (2019-08-13). Climate Strike: Downtown Palo Alto. indybay.org Lytton Plaza, intersection of University Ave. & Emerson Street, Palo Alto 94301…

James A Haught (2019-08-13). The Biggest News of the 21st Century. counterpunch.org What's the most significant occurrence so far in the 21st century? Worsening weather calamities caused by global warming? Endless suicide bombings and massacres by religious fanatics in the Islamic "cult of death"? Snowballing acceptance of gays as equal humans? Kakistocracy (government by the worst) under a ludicrous president who has told 10,000 countable lies? Recurring More

Dan Bacher (2019-08-13). Salmon advocates slam Trump rules slashing Endangered Species Act protections. indybay.org "Here in California we're likely to see salmon, sturgeon, steelhead trout, wolves, wolverines, kit fox and many others all slide towards extinction as a result of today's action by the Trump White House," said John McManus, Executive Director of the Golden Gate Salmon Association.

John Nichols (2019-08-13). The Once Common Republican Environmentalist Is Virtually Extinct. thenation.com The Once Common Republican Environmentalist Is Virtually Extinct…

Sunrise Movement Bay Area (2019-08-13). Mother Nature: A Drag Show for the Climate (San Francisco). indybay.org El Rio bar, 3158 Mission St, San Francisco, California 94110…

Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks (2019-08-13). Learning Walk: Redwoods & Climate Change at Henry Cowell State Park. indybay.org Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, 101 N Big Trees Park Rd, Felton, CA…

APJCC Los Gatos (2019-08-13). Climate Fair: Take Action on Climate Change! (Los Gatos). indybay.org Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Center | 14855 Oka Road, Suite 201, Los Gatos, CA 95032…

Rahus-Solar Schoolhouse (2019-08-13). Educator Workshop: Climate Science & Solutions for K-12 Classrooms. indybay.org Sebastopol Grange, 6000 Sebastopol Avenue, Sebastopol, CA 95472…

Rep. Mike Thompson (2019-08-13). Climate Change Town Hall in Bencia. indybay.org Benicia Senior Center, 187 E L St, Benicia, California 94510…

Rep. Mike Thompson (2019-08-13). Climate Change Town Hall in Napa. indybay.org Napa Valley Unified School District Auditorium,, 2425 Jefferson St…

The Canary (2019-08-13). MPs urge PM to remove barriers to new onshore wind schemes. thecanary.co Dozens of Tories are among more than 150 MPs who have signed a letter to the Prime Minister calling on him to remove barriers to new onshore wind farms. | The letter, co-ordinated by campaign groups 10: 10 Climate Action and Power for People, has been signed by 157 Members of Parliament, including 35 Conservatives, urging the Government to change course on onshore wind. | Boris Johnson has pledged to ensure the UK meets its recently agreed legal target to cut greenhouse gas emissions to "net zero" by 2050. | The letter from the cross-party group of MPs welcomed the pledge and said new onshore wind, which is effect…

2020 or Bust (2019-08-13). Youth Empowerment Climate Dance "March" indybay.org San Jose's Municipal Rose Garden, Dana Ave & Naglee Ave, San Jose, CA 95112 | then Dance "March" to SAP's Arena Green West and back…

LWVSC (2019-08-13). Film Screening: "Paris to Pittsburgh" Climate Change. indybay.org Cambrian Branch Library Community Room | 1780 Hillsdale Ave, San Jose, CA 95124…

Green Change (2019-08-13). Climate Politics Meetup hosted by Green Change (Mill Valley). indybay.org Good Earth Natural Foods, 201 Flamingo Road, Mill Valley, CA 94941 | The classroom is next to UPS, in the south corner of the building.

PianoFight SF (2019-08-13). Climate Concert: It's Getting Hot in Here (And That's A Crisis) Fundraiser. indybay.org PianoFight, 144 Taylor St, San Francisco, CA 94102…

Eds. (2019-08-13). Crisis, which crisis? climate change and capitalism. mronline.org The essays compiled in this special issue of Key Words address the theme of crisis. But which crisis? | Source

Staff (2019-08-12). Trump Administration Overhauls Endangered Species Protections. truthdig.com WASHINGTON—The Trump administration on Monday rolled out some of the broadest changes in decades to enforcement of the landmark Endangered Species Act, allowing the government to put an economic cost on saving a species and other changes critics contend could speed extinction for some struggling plants and animals. | Interior Secretary David Bernhardt and other administration officials contend the changes improve efficiency of oversight, while protecting rare species. | "The best way to uphold the Endangered Species Act is to do everything we…

Paul Haeder (2019-08-12). When Americans Act Like Millionaires. dissidentvoice.org Words, and spin, and the Mad Men and Mad Women of this perverse consumerism and cultural wasteland tied to Predatory Capitalism, Celebrity Culture and Americans who have perpetual ennui because of their perpetual dumb-downing, perpetual swallow of exceptionism as a core value of the American Project To Take Over the World. So many, and they …

Robert J. Burrowes (2019-08-12). Our Vanishing World: Rainforests. dissidentvoice.org Rainforests are a crucial feature of Earth's biosphere. Apart from being critical to Earth's climate and vital carbon sinks, the major player in Earth's hydrological (water) cycle, a massive producer of oxygen and home to most of the world's species, rainforests are the home of a large Indigenous human population. They are also the source …

Ryan Driskell Tate (2019-08-12). How Climate Activists Can Benefit from Solidarity with Kentucky Coal Miners. progressive.org As fossil-fuel workers lose their jobs today, the urgency of what climate activists call the "just transition" becomes all the more apparent.

WSWS (2019-08-12). Hottest July on record signals accelerated climate change. wsws.org Global warming is rapidly approaching the point of causing irreversible climate disruption, threatening human existence.

David Suzuki (2019-08-12). Deniers deflated as climate reality hits home. nationofchange.org Climate science deniers are becoming desperate as their numbers diminish in the face of incontrovertible evidence that human-caused global warming is putting our future at risk. Although most people with basic education, common sense, and a lack of financial interest in the fossil fuel industry accept what scientists worldwide have proven through decades of research, some media outlets continue to publish inconsistent, incoherent opinions of people who reject climate science. | Over the past few weeks, Canada's Postmedia chain has run columns denying or downplaying the seriousness of climate change by Fraser I…

Theron Mohamed (2019-08-12). Bayer Gets Help from Donald Trump as US Regulators Veto Warnings Its Roundup Weedkiller Causes Cancer. globalresearch.ca Embattled Bayer is getting a helping hand from Donald Trump. | The German pharmaceuticals titan is currently inundated with lawsuits claiming Roundup, a weedkiller owned by its Monsanto subsidiary, causes cancer. The Trump administration is refusing to approve product labels …

teleSUR (2019-08-12). Trump Administration Weakens Protections for Threatened Species. telesurenglish.net The Trump Administration took steps on Monday to significantly weaken the U.S. Endangered Species Act, prompting state attorneys general and conservation groups to threaten legal action to protect at-risk species. | RELATED: | Save Nature to Save Ourselves, UN Report Pleads | The 1970s-era Act is credited with bringing back from the brink of extinction species such as bald eagles, gray whales and grizzly bears, setting limits for drilling and mining companies, and other industries with new lis…

commondreams (2019-08-12). Trump Administration Exacerbates Extinction Crisis. commondreams.org ______________________________…

commondreams (2019-08-12). Trump Extinction Plan Guts Endangered Species Act. commondreams.org ______________________________…

The Canary (2019-08-12). University bans beef burgers to do its part in the fight against climate chaos. thecanary.co Beef burgers have been banned by a university as part of efforts to tackle the climate emergency.Goldsmiths, University of London said it will remove all products containing beef from sale from next month as the institution aims to become carbon neutral by 2025.Students will also face a 10p levy on bottles of water and single-use plastic cups when the academic year starts to discourage use of the products.The college's new Warden, Prof Frances Corner, said staff and st…

David Suzuki (2019-08-12). Deniers Deflated as Climate Reality Hits Home. commondreams.org Those who continue to spread doubt and confusion about climate science are starting to look even more ridiculous with their many conflicting, insubstantial arguments. (Photo: dullhunk/flickr/cc) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/climate-deniers-deflated.jpg

Ayesha Tandon (2019-08-12). Global sea-level rise began accelerating '30 years earlier' than previously thought. nationofchange.org The study, published in Nature Climate Change, introduces a new technique to more accurately determine historical global sea levels by combining two different statistical approaches. | It was found that the southern hemisphere, home to many developing small island nations, experienced the majority of the observed sea level rise, the lead author tells Carbon Brief. | The implication of this work is that ocean heat uptake will "likely increase again in the near future, further increasing the rate of current sea level rise", another scientist tells Carbon Brief. | Measuring our rising seas: | Global sea l…

Pablo Pacheco (2019-08-12). The Need for a Climate Action Plan That Puts Forests Front and Center Is Clearer Than Ever. commondreams.org Forests are a key piece of the land and climate puzzle. (Photo: scott.zona/flickr/cc) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/forests-climate.jpg

Kristin Ohlson (2019-08-12). Regenerative Agriculture Is Key for a Sustainable Climate and Food System. commondreams.org Demonstrators spotlight the power of soil at a march in Oakland, California on November 21, 2015. (Photo: Peg Hunter/Flickr/cc) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/soilnotoil-a.jpg

WSWS (2019-08-12). Climate change reports warn of a world on the brink. wsws.org The only solution to the climate change crisis lies in the struggle against capitalism.

Robert J. Burrowes (2019-08-12). Our Vanishing World: Rainforests. globalresearch.ca Rainforests are a crucial feature of Earth's biosphere. Apart from being critical to Earth's climate and vital carbon sinks, the major player in Earth's hydrological (water) cycle, a massive producer of oxygen and home to most of the world's species, …

Julia Conley, staff writer (2019-08-12). In First-of-Its-Kind Survey, Greenlanders Report Fear and Anxiety Over Effects of Climate Crisis. commondreams.org Although Greenland's proximity to the Arctic Circle means scientists pay close attention to changes in sea ice and temperatures in the island country, few have remarked on the effects of the climate crisis on the 56,000 people who live there—until now. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/5517455866_2a8e45dcd6_o11.jpg

Alexandra Jacobo (2019-08-12). "Empowering women and indigenous peoples" will help us more effectively combat climate change says UN report. nationofchange.org Recognizing indigenous lands rights and empowering women and indigenous communities is crucial if we are to fight climate change, says a new UN report released last week. | In the special report released by the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), scientists call for policy changes in land use, farming, and eating habits in order to help cut emissions that are heavily contributing to the warming of the Earth. | The report calls for: "Policies that enable and incentivise sustainable land management for cli…

United Nations (2019-08-11). FROM THE FIELD: 'Eco-warriors' fight climate change in South Africa. un.org Schools in South Africa have been designating students as "eco-warriors" as part of an initiative supported by the UN Development Programme (UNDP), to drive environmental and climate change awareness amongst the young and old in their communities.

Fred_F (2019-08-10). Is 'political correctness' threatening freedom of speech? greenleft.org.au "As a result of the cultural-left's long march through the institutions … political correctness involving identity politics, privileging victimhood and virtue signalling dominate public policy and debate", whined Kevin Donnelly, Senior Research Fellow at the Australian Catholic University, in the Sydney Morning Herald (SMH). | "Like never before Free Speech is facing extinction in Australia", exclaimed conservative activist group Advance Australia…

Staff (2019-08-09). New IPCC Report Warns of Vicious Cycle Between Soil Degradation and Climate Change. therealnews.com Greenpeace's Diana Ruiz discusses the new IPCC Climate report, "Climate Change and Land," which issues a dire warning about how climate change and destructive land use reinforce each other, leading to serious threats for human survival…

pip.hinman (2019-08-09). Socialist seminar discusses anti-capitalist solutions. greenleft.org.au Socialism. Today. was the theme of a lively day-long seminar about critical issues facing the movements for social and ecological change, hosted by the Socialist Alliance on August 4. | Extinction Rebellion and Student Strike 4 Climate activist Parker Craig said support for the September 20 student climate strike is growing, despite attempts by some school authorities to stifle it. | Maritime Union of Australia activist and author Penny McCall Howard said the recent student climate strikes had helped shift politics, including in the union movement. | She said: "We now face the task of building a class-conscious e…

Staff (2019-08-09). Documents Reveal Monsanto Surveilled Journalists, Activists & Even Musician Neil Young. democracynow.org Explosive new documents reveal the U.S. agribusiness giant Monsanto ran a "fusion center" to surveil and discredit journalists and activists who criticized or wrote damning reports about Monsanto, as well as legendary singer-songwriter Neil Young, who released an album in 2015 called "The Monsanto Years." Monsanto monitored Young's Twitter activity and even analyzed the lyrics of his album. The fusion center also surveilled journalist Carey Gillam, who has done extensive research and writing about Monsanto and its popular pesticide Roundup, which has been linked to cancer. The corporation also targeted the nonpro…

Staff (2019-08-09). Supersizing Climate Change: U.N. Says Meat Production Destroys Land & Diminishes Key Water Sources. democracynow.org The United Nations' top panel of climate scientists warns that humans are consuming land and water resources at an unprecedented rate, with the destructive effects of the climate crisis increasingly threatening the planet's biodiversity and the food security of hundreds of millions of people. In its latest climate change and land special report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that without dramatic action, extreme weather and rising temperatures will turn even more fertile land into desert, shrinking the global food supply, even as the world's population rises to more than 7.5 billion people.

Staff (2019-08-08). We Must Change Land Use to Save Humanity. therealnews.com What you need to know about the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's new Special Report…

Makasi Motema (2019-08-08). Tell Greyhound: Keep ICE and CPB cops off buses! workers.org The state is waging war on migrants and refugees. As they flee from violence, political instability and the growing climate crisis, the U.S. is doubling down on a cruel, white supremacist policy of exclusion. Immigration and Custom Enforcement and Customs and Border Patrol agents are rounding up migrants, placing them . . . | Continue reading Tell Greyhound: Keep ICE and CPB cops off buses! at Workers.org

United Nations (2019-08-08). Thursday's Daily Brief: Climate crisis and food risks, fresh violence threat for millions of Syrians, calls for calm in Kashmir. un.org Thursday's top stories: food security risk from climate crisis, fresh violence threat for millions of Syrians, UN chief urges "maximum restraint" in Jammu and Kashmir, calls for investigations into "brutal abduction" of Libyan politician.

United Nations (2019-08-08). World food security increasingly at risk due to 'unprecedented' climate change impact, new UN report warns. un.org More than 500 million people today live in areas affected by erosion linked to climate change, the UN warned on Thursday, before urging all countries to commit to sustainable land use to help limit greenhouse gas emissions before it is too late.

Staff (2019-08-08). Headlines for August 8, 2019. democracynow.org U.N. Scientists Warn Rapid Global Warming Threatens Food Supply, 680 Mississippi Poultry Workers Arrested in Massive Immigration Raid, ICE Raids Targeted Company Whose Workers Won Discrimination Lawsuit, Trump Visits Dayton and El Paso, Sites of Weekend Mass Shootings, El Paso Protesters Link Trump's Racist Rhetoric to Gunman's Manifesto, Trump Supporter with Loaded Pistol, Knife Arrested Outside El Paso Immigrant Center, Trump Suggests Antifa Shares Equal Blame for Deadly Violence, Democratic Presidential Candidates Say Trump Enables White Supremacists, SPLC: State Department Employee Secretly Worked as White Na…

Staff (2019-08-07). Climate Change Is a Key Issue for a Growing Number of Young Republicans. therealnews.com Republican strategists know the party will need to shift its climate platform to retain young voters, but federal Republican officials haven't caught up to the new trend, says The New York Times' Lisa Friedman…

Staff (2019-08-07). California Legislature Climate Watchdog Committee Has Little Bite. therealnews.com The California Legislature's Joint Committee on Climate Change Policies was formed in 2016 as a watchdog on state climate policy. But activists say that, so far, it has failed to live up to its potential.

Staff (2019-08-06). Puerto Rico in Political Crisis: Senate Sues over Appointment of New Governor Pierluisi. democracynow.org The political crisis in Puerto Rico continues as its Senate has sued against the appointment of Pedro Pierluisi as the new governor following Ricardo Rosselló's resignation last week. Pierluisi was sworn in despite not having been confirmed by the Puerto Rican Senate. But he argues that he is in the line of succession for governor after being nominated as secretary of state by Rosselló last week. San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz also sued after his swearing-in. We speak with Democracy Now! co-host Juan González for his analysis of the current political climate.