Wednesday's Daily Brief: Guterres talks technology for Africa's development, 'extinction crisis' prompts stronger wildlife protection, Greta Thunberg reaches New York, funding shortfalls in Iraq, a positive step for Indigenous women
United Nations | un.org | 2019-08-28
A recap of Wednesday's stories: Secretary-General António Guterres says 'winds of hope are blowing ever stronger' for Africa's development; Swedish climate youth activist Greta Thunberg reaches New York by boat; Chief of UN Mission for Iraq warns on funding shortfalls; and in Canada, a new bill recognizes the rights of indigenous women.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/08/1045131
On David Koch's passing and the Koch network's ongoing war on clean energy
Ben Jervey | nationofchange.org | 2019-08-28
Billionaire libertarian activist and oil industry tycoon David Koch died on Friday, leaving a toxic legacy that includes helping birth the climate denial movement, fighting against regulations that protect worker and public health, and — critical to our work here on DeSmog's KochvsClean project — helping fund and coordinate a decades-long attack on clean energy and low carbon …
nationofchange.org/2019/08/28/on-david-kochs-passing-and-the-koch-networks-ongoing-war-on-clean-energy/
'Extinction crisis' pushes countries to agree stronger protection for global wildlife
United Nations | un.org | 2019-08-28
At-risk wildlife that is facing a "growing extinction crisis" received a boost on Wednesday, as countries wrapped up a marathon meeting in Geneva, by agreeing to increased protection measures and more sustainable trade in animals and plants across the globe.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/08/1045121
Can We Reach 100 Percent Renewable Energy in Time to Avert Climate Catastrophe?
Daniel Ross | commondreams.org | 2019-08-28
About 15 years ago, Texas introduced a renewable energy integration program that has led to wind and solar making up 20 percent of the state's electricity supply, comparable to California. Other regions are playing catch-up. According to the Sierra Club, at least 131 cities and nine states, districts or territories across the U.S. have committed to 100 percent renewable energy goals within a certain timeframe. (Photo: Pixabay/Pexels) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/alternative-energy-clouds-dawn-532192.jpg …
commondreams.org/views/2019/08/28/can-we-reach-100-percent-renewable-energy-time-avert-climate-catastrophe?cd-origin=rss
Why is the Climate Changing Like This?
Vishaka George | counterpunch.org | 2019-08-28
"By 4 p.m. we had to light a fire to stay warm here," says Augustine Vadakil on his struggling farm in Kerala's hilly Wayanad district. "But that was 30 years ago. Wayanad is no longer the cold, misty place it once was." From a maximum of 25 degrees Celsius by early March, temperatures here now…
counterpunch.org/2019/08/28/why-is-the-climate-changing-like-this/
G7 Climate Meeting
Staff | truthdig.com | 2019-08-28
truthdig.com/cartoons/g7-climate-meeting/
The Climate Emergency: The Future Is In Our Hands
Speak Out Now | indybay.org | 2019-08-28
South Berkeley Senior Center | 2939 Ellis St., Berkeley…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/08/26/18825733.php
We are facing a global emergency in the Amazon. Here's what we can do
Leila Salazar-Lopez and Lindsey Allen | nationofchange.org | 2019-08-28
Called "the lungs of the Earth", the Amazon rainforest and its lush trees make roughly 20% of the oxygen on Earth. Yet, right now, the skies of Sao Paolo, Brazil are black and the smoke can be seen from space. Flames are ravaging the Amazon Basin. Though climate change has catalyzed many devastating blazes in recent years, …
nationofchange.org/2019/08/28/we-are-facing-a-global-emergency-in-the-amazon-heres-what-we-can-do/
Fidel Castro's prescient warning on climate change
Fidel Castro Ruz | liberationnews.org | 2019-08-28
Fidel Castro Ruz, historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, warned almost 30 years ago that collective and urgent action was needed to combat the destruction of the Earth's environment.
liberationnews.org/fidel-castros-prescient-warning-on-climate-change/
Our vanishing world: Glaciers
Robert J. Burrowes | nationofchange.org | 2019-08-28
Something is causing the worlds glaciers and mountain ice fields to melt. And, despite your first thought, it is not the ongoing climate catastrophe. It does not matter where on Earth the glaciers and mountain ice fields are located, they are all melting. Moreover, the projected timeframe for some of them to disappear altogether is …
nationofchange.org/2019/08/28/our-vanishing-world-glaciers/
California regulators continue to allow oil field wastewater injection into aquifers
Dan Bacher | indybay.org | 2019-08-28
The continued injection of oil wastewater into aquifers is no surprise to environmental justice advocates, since the capture of California regulators by the Western States Petroleum Association and oil and gas companies continues under the Gavin Newsom administration.
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/08/26/18825718.php
How Bolsonaro's Climate Change Denial & Anti-Indigenous Policies Led to Massive Fires in the Amazon
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-28
In Brazil, fires continue to rage in the Amazon, and new drone footage shows the smoke and flames gathering strength. A vast plume of smoke has spread across South America and the Atlantic Ocean and is visible from space. The fires are also destroying large swaths of land in Bolivia. The fires are unprecedented in recorded history, and environmentalists say most of the fires were deliberately set by illegal miners and cattle ranchers. So far this year, there have been nearly 73,000 fires in Brazil, with over half of them in the Amazon region — an 83% increase from the same period last year. Far-right Brazil…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/28/brazil_jair_bolsonaro_unprecedented_amazon_fires
Greta Thunberg Comes to America: Celebrations as Teen Climate Activist Arrives at Coney Island
Jessica Corbett, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-08-28
"Your journey is a symbolic reminder of the ways we need to work together across every ocean!" tweeted 350.org co-founder Bill McKibben | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/greta_thunberg_by_jen_edney.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2019/08/28/greta-thunberg-comes-america-celebrations-teen-climate-activist-arrives-coney-island?cd-origin=rss
'No Time Left for Business as Usual': Climate Activists Plan Day of Mass Civil Disobedience to #ShutDownDC
Jake Johnson, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-08-28
"There's a tremendous amount of power that drives through those streets and parks next to those sidewalks and walks into those buildings. We want them to think about what they're doing with that power." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/shut_down_dc.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2019/08/28/no-time-left-business-usual-climate-activists-plan-day-mass-civil-disobedience?cd-origin=rss
What Will It Take To Declare A Climate Emergency?
Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-08-27
Students march in Melbourne, Australia. Source AAP. The Embassy Protectors Defense Committee is calling on the US State Department to drop the federal charges against us. On May 16, federal forces invaded the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington, DC in violation of the Vienna Convention and arrested four Embassy Protectors even though we were there with …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/08/what-will-it-take-to-declare-a-climate-emergency/
David Koch Is Dead, But His Legacy of Climate Denial Lives On
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-08-27
Seminal climate scientist Michael Mann, who was the target of a Koch-funded smear, explains how the Koch Brothers "almost single-handedly stymied climate action for decades."
therealnews.com/stories/david-koch-is-dead-but-his-legacy-of-climate-denial-lives-on
DNC Kills Climate Debate Compromise
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-08-27
Days after rejecting the proposal to sanction debate focused on the climate crisis, the DNC voted 222-137 against allowing candidates to participate in even a non-sanctioned one…
therealnews.com/stories/dnc-kills-climate-debate-compromise
Seattle courthouse drowning in waste, but cleaning it up would be… racist?
rt.com | 2019-08-27
When two Seattle, Washington judges asked the local authorities to clean up garbage and human waste from the homeless camp outside their courthouse, one council member worried that power-washing the sidewalks might be racist. | The King County courthouse in downtown Seattle is located near the social service centers and several homeless shelters. A tent city has sprung up in the little park outside. There have been several assaults on courthouse employees, and even two attacks on jurors In May and June, leading to citizens summoned for jury duty to voice concerns about their safety. | Judges Laura Inveen and J…
rt.com/usa/467415-seattle-courthouse-excrement-racist/
"Kochland": How David Koch Helped Build an Empire to Shape U.S. Politics & Thwart Climate Action
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-27
Billionaire conservative donor David Koch died Friday at the age of 79 from prostate cancer. David Koch — who was worth some $42 billion — and his brother Charles poured massive amounts of money into funding climate change denial through conservative think tanks and politicians. The Koch brothers founded the political advocacy group Americans for Prosperity in 2004, which is credited with turning the "tea party" into a full-fledged political movement. They also backed "right-to-work" efforts, which aim to weaken labor rights and quash union membership. The brothers made their fortune running Koch Indu…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/27/christopher_leonard_kochland_koch_brothers
Monday's Daily Brief: UN chief talks climate action at G7, WFP official visits camp in Central African Republic, Deadly violence at Lesvos migrant centre, Security Council meets on AU-UN Darfur mission
United Nations | un.org | 2019-08-26
A recap of Monday's stories: UN chief urges more action from G7 leaders to tackle 'climate emergency'; WFP official visits camp for displaced in Central African Republic, UN refugee agency calls on Greece to keep young migrants safe after deadly incident at Lesvos reception centre; and Security Council considers work of AU-UN Mission in Sudan's Darfur region.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/08/1044971
No Coal, No Gas: Climate activists remove coal from Merrimack generating station
JOCDC | liberationnews.org | 2019-08-26
"…it is now a necessity to take matters into our own hands…"
liberationnews.org/no-coal-no-gas-climate-activists-remove-coal-from-merrimack-generating-station/
UN chief appeals to G7 leaders for 'strong commitment' and political will to tackle climate emergency
United Nations | un.org | 2019-08-26
People all over the world are calling for a shift towards a greener, cleaner future, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Monday, stressing that…
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/08/1044921
David Koch's Most Significant Legacy Is the Election of Donald Trump
Lee Fang | theintercept.com | 2019-08-26
David Koch, the fossil fuel industry billionaire who passed away on August 23 at the age of 79, spent the second half of his life building a political power structure alongside his brother Charles that radically reshaped society and set the conditions for the rise of President Donald Trump. | Many obituaries published in recent days examine Koch's history of polluting the environment and political system, how the donor network he helped lead mobilized opposition to addressing climate change, transformed our election laws to allow unlimited secret spending by the very rich, and systematically fought any regulation…
theintercept.com/2019/08/26/david-koch-donald-trump/
Bernie Sander's climate plan is more radical than his opponents' — and more likely to succeed
Eds. | mronline.org | 2019-08-26
IF YOU TRIED to design a program with the aim of offending the top brass of the world's most powerful corporations and the politicians whose careers they bankroll, you'd get something like what Bernie Sanders unveiled today in his $16.3 trillion Green New Deal platform. | Source…
mronline.org/2019/08/26/bernie-sanders-climate-plan-is-more-radical-than-his-opponents-and-more-likely-to-succeed/
FROM THE FIELD: Malawi farmers diversify to fight climate change
United Nations | un.org | 2019-08-26
Farmers in Malawi are diversifying their crops and adopting sustainable technologies as they look at ways to adapt to a changing climate.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/08/1044941
Mysterious Russian Nuclear Missile Accident Sparks Fears of Cover-Up & "Chernobyl Redux"
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-26
Questions are swirling over a mysterious nuclear accident in northern Russia on August 8. Seven people, including five nuclear scientists, died in an explosion, which caused a radiation spike in the surrounding area — and possibly as far as Scandinavia. U.S. experts suspect the explosion was caused during a test of a nuclear-powered cruise missile. Russia initially denied a radiation leak, but earlier today its state weather agency confirmed radioactive isotopes have been found in test samples in the city of Severodvinsk near the military test range. Norway's nuclear test ban monitor now believes two explos…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/26/aug_8_russia_nuclear_accident
Unreported Deaths, Child Cancer & Radioactive Meat: The Untold Story of Chernobyl
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-26
Following a mysterious nuclear accident in Russia that left seven dead, we look back at the 1986 nuclear disaster in Chernobyl. It sent a cloud of radioactive fallout into Russia, Belarus and over a large portion of Europe, but the death toll from Chernobyl remains unknown. Chernobyl is considered the worst nuclear accident in history, but Kate Brown, an MIT professor of science, technology and society, says much of what we understand about the disaster is inaccurate. Her new book, "Manual for Survival: A Chernobyl Guide to the Future," chronicles the devastating and underreported impact of radiation on tens of t…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/26/kate_brown_chernobyl_manual_for_survival
La Via Campesina: Burning the Amazon is a crime against humanity
susan_p | greenleft.org.au | 2019-08-25
Amazon rainforest La Via CampesinaIssue 1235 Brazil climate emergencyAugust 26, 2019La Via Campesina is a global social movement that unites 148 groups representing small farmers, peasants, rural workers and indigenous communities around the world. | It fights for…
greenleft.org.au/content/la-via-campesina-burning-amazon-crime-against-humanity
"Child Actorvism" and the Extinction Agenda of Neoliberal Racists
Mathew Maavak | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-08-24
There is no shortage of social justice causes trumpeted by the West‚Ä with a revolving medley of "child actorvists" at the forefront. The logical observer may question whether these endless multi-billion dollar campaigns have had any tangible effect at all, except in serving as a stalking horse for mass-mediated interferences in the affairs of other …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/08/child-actorvism-and-the-extinction-agenda-of-neoliberal-racists/
National Democrats Endorse John Hickenlooper, a Proponent of Fracking, in Competitive Colorado Primary
Aída Chávez | theintercept.com | 2019-08-24
In Colorado, nearly a dozen Democrats are vying for the opportunity to take on Republican Sen. Cory Gardner in 2020 — a race widely seen as the party's most promising pick-up in the Senate. One of the leading contenders, former Colorado House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, is running on a platform that includes Medicare for All and an aggressive plan to combat the climate crisis — and his campaign has already topped $1 million in fundraising. | But the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has thrown its weight behind former Gov. John Hickenlooper, a pro-fracking moderate. After months of rejecting calls…
theintercept.com/2019/08/24/dscc-john-hickenlooper-andrew-romanoff-colorado-senate/
On Day One, the Next President Should Declare A Climate Emergency
Howie Hawkins | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-08-24
The next president should declare a Climate Emergency, which will give the president powers to act rapidly and decisively to confront the climate crisis. The president should also create a cabinet-level Office of Climate Mobilization for the coordination of all federal agencies in mobilizing the nation's resources to achieve zero greenhouse gas emissions and 100% …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/08/on-day-one-the-next-president-should-declare-a-climate-emergency/
GateHouse's Takeover of Gannett: Bad News for Journalism and the Planet
Janine Jackson | fair.org | 2019-08-23
USA Today's "Just the FAQs" video ( 8/20/19) on the Amazon fires–which promises to explain, "How does this affect our planet?"–manages to avoid ever using the words "climate" or "global warming." (There is one reference to "carbon and greenhouse gases," not further explained.) | | USA Today ran a piece ( 8/20/19) on the Amazon fires in which "anthropogenic climate…
fair.org/home/gatehouses-takeover-of-gannett-bad-news-for-journalism-and-the-planet/
"Our House Is On Fire": Brazil Faces Global Outrage as Massive Fires Spread in Amazon Rainforest
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-23
The United Nations is calling for the protection of the Amazon amid fears that thousands of fires raging across Brazil and some parts of Bolivia are rapidly destroying the world's largest rainforest and paving the way for a climate catastrophe. The fires have spread a vast plume of smoke across South America and the Atlantic Ocean that's visible from space. They're unprecedented in recorded history, and environmentalists say most of the fires were deliberately set by illegal miners and cattle ranchers. Indigenous people in Brazil have accused far-right President Jair Bolsonaro of encouraging the destruction. Bols…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/23/jeff_merkley_us_nuclear_policy_green
Climate rebellion continues
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2019-08-23
climate emergency Zebedee ParkesIssue 1234 Australia Extinction Rebellion Moreland City CouncilAugust 23, 2019Extinction Rebellion activists continue to hold disruptive actions ar…
greenleft.org.au/content/climate-rebellion-continues
Break the hold of the fossil fuel media mafia
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2019-08-23
climate emergency Sam WainwrightIssue 1234 Australia Extinction Rebellion fossil fuel mafia The West Australian…
greenleft.org.au/content/break-hold-fossil-fuel-media-mafia
DNC Rejects Call for a Climate Debate
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-08-22
Democratic National Committee (DNC) officials reversed the previous ban on candidates participating in non-sanctioned climate forums, but Carmen Bouquin of the Sunrise Movement says that's not enough…
therealnews.com/stories/dnc-rejects-call-for-a-climate-debate
Bernie Sanders's Climate Plan Is More Radical Than His Opponents' — And More Likely to Succeed
Kate Aronoff | theintercept.com | 2019-08-22
The $16.3 trillion plan would not only transition American society away from fossil fuels but renegotiate decades-old nostrums about the government's role in the economy.
theintercept.com/2019/08/22/bernie-sanders-climate-policy/
Tales from the Extinction Rebellion Chill Zone
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2019-08-22
climate emergency Amy WarneIssue 1234 Australia Extinction Rebellion arrests Declaration DayAugust 22, 2019Community activist A…
greenleft.org.au/content/tales-extinction-rebellion-chill-zone
Bruce Shillingsworth: 'We are the last generation who can fix climate change'
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2019-08-22
river crisis Peter BoyleIssue 1234 Australia drought Murray Darling River systemAugust 22, 2019″I believe the numbers will change the game," said First Nations activist and artist Uncle Bruce…
greenleft.org.au/content/bruce-shillingsworth-we-are-last-generation-who-can-fix-climate-change
Rivers in crisis: Killing rivers for mines and irrigators
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2019-08-22
climate emergency Elena GarciaIssue 1234 Australia Menindee Lakes Broken Hill water pipeline Rivers in crisisAugu…
greenleft.org.au/content/rivers-crisis-killing-rivers-mines-and-irrigators
'Monsanto Has Worked Very Hard to Discredit Me and My Work' – CounterSpin interview with Carey Gillam on Monsanto's attack on journalism
Janine Jackson | fair.org | 2019-08-20
Janine Jackson interviewed US Right to Know's Carey Gillam for the August 16, 2019, episode of CounterSpin, about being targeted by Monsanto. This is a lightly edited transcript. | Media…
fair.org/home/monsanto-has-worked-very-hard-to-discredit-me-and-my-work/
Ernest Coverson on Guns & Human Rights, Carey Gillam Under Attack From Monsanto
CounterSpin | fair.org | 2019-08-16
Media…
fair.org/home/ernest-coverson-on-guns-human-rights-carey-gillam-under-attack-from-monsanto/